


From Strangers to "It's Complicated"

by Norse_God_Loki



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Anal Sex, Angst, Awkward Flirting, Blow Jobs, Come Swallowing, Dating, Emotional Manipulation, Exes, Fluff, Insecurities, Loki Feels, M/M, Minor Character(s), Morning Commute, No physical abuse in the relationship, Oral Sex, Roleplay, Smut, Thor Feels, Workplace Sex, physical violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-09-12 19:19:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 52,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9086539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Norse_God_Loki/pseuds/Norse_God_Loki
Summary: Every morning for the past year, Thor took the same 8:15 train to work at the museum.Two months ago, that same train became much more interesting. It was then that a new passenger started getting on at the stop right after Thor's and sitting, almost always, two seats ahead and across the isle from him.





	1. Morning Commutes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was originally titled "Thor's Morning Commute" and then Chapter 2 was "Loki's Morning Commute" but your idiot author accidentally deleted the entire chapter explaining Loki's commute after the entire work was finished, so now, I've rewritten and added Loki's morning commute to Chapter One.  
> Sometimes, I hate AO3.  
> It should have at least ASKED me if I was SURE I wanted to delete an entire chapter I'd spent over an hour writing.

********************Thor's Morning Commute*************************

 

 

Every morning for the past year, Thor took the same 8:15 train to work at the museum.

Two months ago, that same train became much more interesting. It was then that a new passenger started getting on at the stop right after Thor's and sitting, almost always, two seats ahead and across the isle from him. When that seat wasn't available, the dark haired stranger would take the one behind it bringing him that much closer to Thor.

Thor had tried to sit closer but when he got on the train, the same passengers that were always on before him seemed to have assigned seats. There was only one time in two months that one of those regulars wasn't there and Thor grabbed his seat, putting him right across the isle from the beautiful stranger. However, that was in the first week of first seeing him on the train and the stranger always seemed so absorbed by the book he was reading that Thor didn't want to be rude and interrupt.

So, he waited and took what little sparse eye contact he could get when Loki got on the train which, after 59 days had been exactly 34 times. Thirty two of which had happened in the last thirty two days so Thor accepted that as flirtation.

Thor had tried to come up with ways in the last twenty eight days of a casual way to strike up a conversation but nothing seemed appropriate to interrupt someone that was so engaged in his reading. If the stranger was flirting, he was waiting for Thor to make a move. If he _wasn't_ flirting, and Thor just happened to be in the stranger's direct line of vision when he boarded, then it was nothing more than an accident that their eyes met. If this was the case, however, didn't it seem strange that the brunette's eyes lingered just long enough to make an impact? Was it not more than just a casual glance and then eyes averted like one would do with a stranger that they accidentally made eye contact with? Furthermore, if this happened every day for the last thirty four days, wouldn't a normal stranger make a _point_ to not look in that same direction everyday knowing that the blonde man would be there, watching, ready for that look?

These were all theories and thoughts that ran through Thor's head every day on his way to work.

It was becoming complicated.

 

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he'd come up with something to say.

 

When he got to work, he took his usual route to his office by first stopping at the café and getting two coffees. One for him, one for his assistant, Natasha who was at her desk outside of his office on the top floor. Today he'd swallow his pride and ask her for some advice on how to approach the stranger. He'd take the punishment and teasing from her only because he had no other choice.

"Morning." he said as he set her coffee on her desk.

She turned from her computer screen, took the coffee with both hands and smirked, "Morning."

"Messages?"

"Not yet."

"Mm... " he grunted. Awkward pause as he stayed standing at her desk. She sipped her coffee, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Somethin' on your mind, boss?" she asked with a quirk of her head. She'd been working with Thor for two years. They were friends and she knew when he was stalling and when he had something he wasn't sure how to say.

"Hm? Oh.. no... just... no." he shook his head and turned and strode into his office. "Let me know when the meeting starts."

She watched him walk away, picked up her coffee again, sipped it and then waited.

 

"Tash?" Thor's voice came over her intercom on her desk.

"Yeah?" she smirked.

"Could you come here?"

 

 

 

********************Loki's Morning Commute*************************

 

It was purely an accident, or maybe fate, that resulted in Loki taking a half hour earlier train than usual.

Noisy construction four floors below his bedroom window rose him at the crack of dawn, or so he thought anyway. It was far too early.  He took advantage of his extra time and took the earlier train so that he could get to his bookstore and reorganize some shelves he'd been meaning to work on. He found that he got so much accomplished by going in only a half hour earlier that he decided that he'd do this every day.

It would be a lie to say that was the only reason he started taking the earlier train.

It also might have had something to do with the blonde, blue eyed Adonis that happened to be on that earlier train.

He never managed to get a seat with him but he always got a good look at him when getting on the train and was able to sneak a peek when Adonis exited the train too. God, he was gorgeous. Just Loki's type, too, if Loki had a type, and in this case, he did. 

Loki made point of giving eye contact. He even angled his body as much as possible without being blatantly obvious so that Thor might approach him, but morning after morning, no such move was made.  He was beginning to think that he wasn't interested, or wasn't gay but no... there was no way the man would look at him so often if he wasn't. Loki was pretty certain he could pick up on the vibe from him so ... in that case... what was taking him so long?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG.. I'm distraught. I had the entire work finished then accidentally hit the "delete chapter" key for Chapter two which was titled "Loki's Morning Commute". Now it's gone and been replaced with what was Chapter 3.  
> Is there any way to get this back??? I can't even rewrite the chapter and put it back in to the slot where it belongs!! I'm horrified.


	2. Mechanical Errors Can Be Useful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a lengthy talk with Natasha that took Thor right up until his meeting with the Museum Director, he still had no ideal plan or angle in which to approach his handsome train companion.

After a lengthy talk with Natasha that took Thor right up until his meeting with the Museum Director, he still had no ideal plan or angle in which to approach his handsome train companion. It wasn't that Natasha's suggestions weren't good, it was just that they weren't what Thor would do.

 

_"Ask him what book he's reading."_

"Too rude.... and creepy."

_"Offer him a coffee."_

What if he doesn't like coffee? And what kind of opening line is that? Would you like a coffee?"

_"Say hello when he gets on."_

"He only looks at me for a second. He's too far away. It would look weird if I say hello to him... what am I to do, say hello to everyone that gets on the train before and after him?"

_"Nod to him when he gets on."_

"Still weird."

 

In the end, Thor decided to go with waiting til he could get a seat closer to him and then making eye contact, nodding and saying good morning.

 

The following morning came, it was Friday, so if he didn't try to make contact today, he had to wait until Monday, again.

The usual passengers were in their usual seats when Thor boarded so sitting in another spot wasn't going to be an option. Plan B. was to nod at him when they made eye contact. When the train slowed at Loki's platform, Thor looked out the window to find him standing there ready to board, book in hand, leather satchel over his shoulder. He always wore his hair down and smoothed back but today, it was pulled up in a neat bun, really showing off his angular face.

Thor took a breath and stared straight ahead at the passengers as they boarded, til finally, the brunette in the dark green suit stepped into the isle, looked directly at the cerulean blue eyes that met his own and before Thor could so much as blink, the man looked away, took his seat and opened his book.

 

Now, plan B and C were exempt for today. He couldn't very well just go up behind the man as the train moved and stand there and say hello. Far too creepy. Thor resigned himself to yet another weekend passing without having even made an attempt at defining a date with this gorgeous creature.

When the train was coming up to his stop, he gathered his bag, his newspaper, waited for a few ladies to go before him to be polite and then took his place in line in the isle to exit the train. He looked at the back of the handsome brunette's head with it's neatly wrapped little bun, eyes cast down into an open book in his hands.

Fate intervened.

Just as Thor was within inches of the lovely book-worm, the train, with gears and wheels cranking and screeching,  experienced a mechanical error and jolted forward. Thor, usually very sure-footed, was thrust forward and with his only free hand, grabbed the gorgeous man's shoulder. Not only did he shove him forward a bit, but then held onto that firm shoulder and pulled him back again, causing him to drop his book into the isle.

"So sorry..." Thor gushed and bent over to pick it up and handed it back to the man and their eyes _locked_ , "I'm ... terribly sorry." Thor repeated.

 

 

Loki decided right at that moment that Adonis's voice was perfectly matched to his look. Soft, determined, low, slightly breathy with an inkling of playfulness... perfect. He couldn't help that in the back of his mind, he thought of how he had a voice now to go with his almost nightly fantasies and for that he was most pleased.

"Don't be... not your fault." he replied, softly, eyes still unblinking. He took the book and their fingers brushed. Loki had thought that only happened in the movies, or sappy tv commercials.

 

 

 _Say something! THINK! Say something else,_ Thor thought, _before you have to get off the train and lose him again._

  
"That's a great book." he half smiled. _Dammit._ Did he just say that? LIES. He's never even _heard_ of that book.

 

The brunette nodded, "It is." he smiled back. _Dammit, say something else!_

 

 _"_ I hope I didn't hurt your shoulder." The line of people behind him had recovered from the sudden jolt and were ready to move on. Thor stepped inside one of the empty seats beside him and let people pass him, much to the delight of the man he was speaking to.

 

"Oh... _no_... not at all." the man gushed.

 

There was what seemed like a very long awkward pause. Though it wasn't long, it was undoubtedly awkward.

 

"Well... I hope your day only improves from here on out." Thor said with a nod and a smile and regrettably, started to leave.

 

"I don't see how it could improve!" Loki suddenly blurted out, surprising not only Adonis, but himself as well.

Thor turned back, let another person pass him by and grinned.

"Unless of course..." Loki continued, "I could get a formal introduction... and maybe a coffee ... later?" Okay, so he was being  incredibly forward and very unlike himself right now but damned if he was going to let this opportunity slip by. 

Thor extended his hand eagerly. "Thor. Odinson." he grinned.

Loki took the extended hand, savoring it's warmth and size. "Loki. Laufeyson."

"A pleasure... Loki." Thor beamed.

"Are you familiar with Selv Star Book Shop?" he asked quickly.

Thor thought for a moment and nodded, "The little book store on 88th and Pier? I do ... I know _of_ it." he replied.

"Getting off?" a woman waited as she approached Thor. He waved her by forcing he and Loki's hands apart which he hadn't realized til then he was still shaking.

"I'm there... all day... I close at five thirty." Loki offered.

"Lunch?" Thor asked hopeful.

Loki nodded. "I'd like that." he smiled. 

Thor's smile couldn't be brighter. "Have a wonderful morning." he said as he backed down the isle towards the exit.

Loki nodded again and smiled. "You as well, Thor." he purred.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Suggestions, critic's and kudos encouraged.


	3. Lunch Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning went by slowly, so it seemed. Loki just knew that it would.

The morning went by slowly, so it seemed. Loki just knew that it would.

Business was good and his part timer worker showed up at noon to take his place til 3pm. Loki used this time to himself for lunch, sometimes a massage, sometimes shopping, sometimes just to sit in the back office and read with a cup of tea or two. He couldn't recall the last time, if ever, he spent it on a lunch date.

12:08 and the bell over the door of the book store rang as the door was opened, and in walked one of his usual customers. Loki greeted her with a smile that he hoped didn't look overly disappointed.

12:12 he was beginning to wish he'd exchanged numbers with Thor. He should have at least handed him his card. Then again, Thor knew the name and location of the book store so he would just be able to look it up and call..... _if_ he wanted to.

12:14 - _He's not coming_. Loki resigned himself to having to take another train from now on to avoid running into Thor. _He seemed interested. He seemed very interested... oh you've over thinking this. He's coming... he's just... caught at work or ran into someone on the way here or he stubbed his toe on the curb and possibly broke it._ *sigh*

12:18 was the longest four minutes in history. Loki was sure of it. He sat at the counter fidgeting with items on the counter, calculator, pens and stapler taken from the counter and put into the shelf underneath, tiny Bonsai tree moved from one position to another, then back again. He picked up the phone and wiped it's plastic screen off, checked it for dialtone then hung it up again. Pen and notepad taken from shelf underneath where he'd just put them and placed them back on the counter beside the phone. The plastic folded sign that said  _We accept MasterCard/ Visa_ was picked up, wiped off of any non-existent dust and carefully placed back facing outward again in front of the register.

Loki sighed. Unbeknownst to him, all too loudly.

"Aren't you going to lunch?" Darcy, the part-timer asked. She'd been watching this little scene play out for the last twelve minutes and was a little baffled, more amused. It wasn't like her employer/friend to be so ... antsy.

"Yes." Loki answered curtly, checking the clock on the wall again. "I believe I am... I"ll be in the back." he said, picking up his book from this morning that he had tucked under the shelf below the register.

"M-kay..." Darcy huffed, brows raised at Loki's peculiar behavior and stood with pen in hand hovering over a crossword puzzle she'd since abandoned for watching Loki instead. She shrugged and turned back to lean over her crossword puzzle just as Loki was about to open the door to the back room behind the counter. Exactly at 12:20, when the bell over the door of the book store rang as the door was opened. Thor entered, smiling upon seeing Loki right away.

 

Loki stopped and looked back over his shoulder to see the golden haired god appear in his doorway. It was only too appropriate that the sun was reflecting off a parked car and illuminated his frame from behind, creating a halo effect around his hair and face.

Darcy smiled, knowingly, "Ahhh.... " she nodded then looked back at Loki who was beaming, eyes wide. "Ahh-haa..." she said again.

"Shush..." Loki gave her a soft pinch to her waist as he walked past her, "Hello..."

"Hello." Thor smiled in return. "Sorry... I wasn't sure what time so I thought somewhere between noon and 12:30 was ...okay?"

"Perfect." Loki said as he stepped out from around the counter.

"Good.." he said and stood with hands going for his jacket pockets, awkwardly as the two stood face to face. He glanced over at Darcy.

"Hiii..." Darcy hummed, smiling. "I'm..."

"This is Darcy... my worker... er.. my... employee... uh.. friend as well." he corrected himself gaining a glare from the girl.

"Hello, Darcy.. nice to meet you. I'm Thor." he introduced himself and shook her hand.

"Thor... hi... " she grinned, and eyed the back of Loki's head. She only wished they were reversed so that she could make facial gestures to Loki.

Loki was grateful he had his back to her for this very reason.

"You own the book store?" Thor asked, not so much surprised but pleasantly so.

"I do..." Loki admitted proudly. "So... where would you like to have lunch?" Loki asked, putting his book on the counter.

"Oh.. wherever you'd like. Where do you usually go?" Thor asked.

"He usually sucks down a tea then heads for a massa..." Darcy shot out quick as she could before being cut off.

"There's a café around the corner!" Loki interrupted. "they have a nice selection."

"Very well then... shall we?" Thor replied, reaching to open the door for Loki.

Loki shot Darcy a look over his shoulder before exiting. "Be back later."

"Have fun." she waved. "Nice to meet you, ... _Thor_."

 

 

Loki ordered an Earl Grey tea and a cup of vegetable soup since that was the least likely thing to get stuck in his teeth.

Thor ordered an unsweetened iced tea and turkey wrap because it was lunch, and he was hungry and it wasn't that he didn't care what got stuck in his teeth, but he was a human being and sometimes that just happened.

"I've been trying to think of a way to talk to you for nearly two months, " Thor admitted freely, "but you were always reading. I started thinking you just weren't interested."

Loki laughed, his eyes wide with surprise. "I've been all but staring you down every time I got on the train!" he exclaimed.

Thor chuckled, "Hardly! A quick glance!" he corrected the other. He took a sip of iced tea. "So... if the train hadn't jolted we wouldn't be here now?"

"I guess we have the New York Transit System to thank for this lunch." Loki added coyly and sipped his tea.

 

They spent the better part of the hour getting to know eachother as best as two people can in a polite, on-best-behavior one hour lunch date. At the end, they exchanged cell phone numbers.

"Are you by any chance free this weekend?" Thor asked sheepishly as he tucked his phone back in his pocket after adding Loki's number.

"The whole weekend?"

"Well... tomorrow? Dinner maybe? Or Sunday...."

"Brunch? Oh we're not going to be one of  _those_ couples, are we?" Loki joked back.

Thor chuckled, " _Couple_? We're a _couple_ now are we?"

Loki's pursed his lips, slightly embarrassed. "I ...just mean..."

"Why Mr. Laufeyson... you move quick for someone that waited for me to make a move for nearly two months!" Thor was all smiles and feigning his shock.

Loki smirked. "Well... once I know what I want... I go after it. Is that a problem?"

Thor leaned across the table and gave him one of those winning smiles that Loki found to be heart melting. "Nope. No problems here." he answered.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Critisms, kudos and comments welcomed.  
> And, I really need a new title for this fic. Strangers on a Train is so done to death.


	4. Are You Going to Kiss Me, Or Not?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second dates are still awkward, but we're getting there.

 

 

 

Loki had a definite spring in his step when he walked back to the book store. He stopped along the way at the bakery and bought two cream puffs for he and Darcy to have with tea. He loved sweets but tried not to indulge too often. He found that he only did so when he was feeling particularly down so today, instead, he'd reward himself for having a good day. A really, really good day.

 

"Soooooo?" Darcy sang softly the second Loki was behind the counter. A few customers looked their way. Loki glanced over at them with a quick smile as he thrust the bakery bag into her hands. "How was lunch?" she chirped, wiggling her eyebrows. "Did you actually go anywhere to  _eat_ or is  _this_ lunch?" she asked, opening the bag.

Loki didn't appreciate the insinuation that he had a lunchtime hookup. Looking at her pointedly, he replied, "Of _course_ we ate... this is for _tea_." he scoffed. Yes, truly, Loki's days of hooking up were over, or at least he dearly wanted them to be. He wanted a relationship. He wanted a steady bed partner, life partner and dinner date with someone other than his cat. He'd been single for over a year and he was thirty one years old. After many nights spent alone or hanging out watching The Housewives with Darcy, he had come to the realization that he very much wanted to settle down. Perhaps he was jumping the gun a bit, or a lot, but after one lunch date with Thor, he found that the man had great potential already.

After the customers left, they left the office door open so they could hear the door bell and went into the back to enjoy their cream puffs. Darcy grabbed one from the bag and flopped down on the loveseat where Loki spent his lunch break reading. "So ... is Thor boyfriend material?"

Loki took his time answering, taking his pastry from the bag, moving Darcy's legs from his end of the loveseat and sat down, crossed his legs and took a bite as she looked on anxiously. She had frosting on her upper lip when she reached over and smacked his knee for taking too long to answer. "Hmmm?" she grunted with her mouth full.

"He's... beyond just boyfriend material." he finally said, and smiled before stuffing a large portion into his mouth.

 

 

 

 

Thor took a cab back to the museum as it was too far to walk, entered his office just in time for an impromptu meeting about a new exhibit and was sufficiently grilled by Natasha afterward about his lunch date.

"What's he  like? "

Thor sat back  in his desk chair and grinned. "He's ... witty, smart, funny, sarcastic but not overly so, .... uh... he's gorgeous..." he chuckled.

"Mmm... sounds like the perfect man." Natasha quirked a brow. "What does he do?"

"He owns a book store... Selv Star Books..."

"Hm, a nerd... nice."

"He's not nerdy..."

"No, nerdy is good... nerdy is the new black."

"Mm.. well... "

"What's he look like?"

"He's got the palest most translucent skin..."

"Ah ha.. see.. nerd.. never goes out in sunlight? Reads all day ... and night?"

"Noo... not like that." Thor insisted waving his hand at her to shush, "He's got this jet black hair... and the longest, eyelashes... " he continued, staring off into space dreamily, "and his eyes... are this shade of green I've never seen in eyes."

"Oh jeez....are you in love already?"

"You asked what he looked like..."

"When are you seeing him again?"

"Tomorrow.. hopefully... " he smiled, "maybe dinner."

"And _then_?" she asked coyly, dragging out the last word.

"No, .. I'm not going to bed with him... not yet. There's something... different about him."

"Oh you _are_ in love..." Natasha scoffed and stood up to go back to her desk. "Try to get some work done, Romeo."

Thor laughed softly and sat back up in his chair and picked up the latest file folder of pictures of the incoming exhibit to choose which would fit in the space. That lasted all of five minutes before he was taking out his phone and looking at Loki's number, considering texting him but decided against it as it might look too obtrusive. He'd wait until later tonight and then call him and make plans for lunch or dinner tomorrow.

 

 

 

Dinner the following night was at Alfredos.  Thor met Loki there as it was almost perfectly located between where they resided. Loki arrived a little early to procure a good table before Thor got there. It was a busy Saturday night so the seating of his choice was out of the question but they ended up in a nice table for two against a wall. Thor was shown the table and Loki was able to look him up and down quickly before he was seated. Dear gods he was a specimen. White shirt, opened just the right amount at the top, blue suit with a perfect fit and hair tied back in a tight bun.

"Hi..." Thor said in a perfect voice.

"Hi... " Loki smiled softly, "You look great."

"As do you." Thor hummed. Black suited Loki. It was the perfect contrast to his skin. Black shirt, black pants.. Thor couldn't tell but he was assuming, and hoping, they were fitted. He couldn't help but notice Loki's perfect bottom when he walked out of the café ahead of him yesterday. He also couldn't help wanting his large hands firmly wrapped around that perfect ass but... later. "Did I make you wait long?" he asked checking his watch.

"No... I was a little early." He had hoped that when Thor got there he would have at the very least leaned over before he took his seat and given him a small peck, even on the cheek. Surely, they'd gotten to that point in their lunch yesterday and then again becoming more familiar with one another in the hour long phone call Friday night. Then again, it took a near train accident to get Thor to finally approach him. He hoped it wouldn't take as long to get the first kiss.

The waiter interrupted them and asked if they'd like drinks. Over wine, they decided to order the Fettuccini Alfredo and Penne with Vodka Sauce and then share both. Loki thought it was incredibly romantic and a very good step in the kiss direction. He had already promised himself that he wouldn't sleep with Thor until at least the third date... at _least_. He also decided that the lunch date definitely counted as the first date, making this number two so he was feeling confident that he'd be sharing a bed with Thor by midweek. He was optimistic.

"So tell me more about this class you teach at the museum." Loki asked, bringing his glass up to his lips. Thor had mentioned that he taught a figure drawing class in the studio space at the museum one night a week. Loki had taken art classes in college and had a talent for it but not much interest. He preferred and was dedicated to his literature courses.

"Well, I'm afraid it's not that interesting. Tuesday nights... two hours of drawing naked people." he smiled. Ever since bringing it up to Loki last night, he'd fantasized about Loki posing for the class though there was no way Thor would not be completely and utterly distracted the entire time.

"Hm.. I took some classes in college. I'm not very good at it I'm afraid."

Thor reached over and took Loki's free hand that wasn't holding his wine glass and fondled his fingers gently between his own, "With these hands? I find that hard to believe. I bet you're better than you say you are." he hummed lowly. There was no mistaking his insinuation and Loki felt his face get quite warm. "You should sit in on one or two classes... you can use my supplies."

Loki smiled and gave a nod, "I'd like that. Tuesday night?" he confirmed. That would be a third date, right? So maybe ....

"Yeah... 7pm." he said, and sipped his wine before making a comment next that he wished he could take back the second he said it. "Unless you'd rather model... we're always looking for new models." Thor was cringing on the inside and trying to remain completely neutral on the outside. That was probably a total creep-move and by the look on Loki's face, he was sure it had been.

"Model? You mean... nude?" Loki asked awkwardly. Loki had absolutely no issues with his body, he was rather proud of it actually. He did yoga and some light weight lifting and though he was thin, he was toned. What he lacked in bulk, he made up for in mobility and flexibility.

"I- I'm sorry... I didn't mean for that to sound weird." Thor gushed, embarrassed. "I only meant that ... well.. you're figure is ... quite nice and ..." he couldn't believe how he was digging himself in deeper. His hand was still holding Loki's on the table and he felt a squeeze.

"It's okay... " Loki assured him, "compliment taken." He wasn't about to let go of that hand until he absolutely had to.

That was exactly what happened when their meals were brought to the table. Thor gently pulled his hand away as the plates were set before them.

 

They chatted casually as they ate, at first from their own plates, then Thor took the initiative to take some from Loki's plate, and vice versa. At that point, they switched plates.

Dessert consisted of cherry cheesecake, shared, again. Loki insisted he'd not be able to finish an entire piece and he had exactly three bites of Thor's and oh, how Thor was dying to feed it to him.

Their dinner came to an end and they hadn't made plans beyond that but Thor wasn't ready to let go just yet. Loki was everything he had told Natasha that he was and more. He was well educated but not arrogant, his sense of humor was on point with Thor's it seemed and Thor decided early on that he'd never tire of hearing Loki's voice. It was smooth and low while being dark and light all at once. His smile was mesmerizing and Thor was most delighted by Loki's laugh... he'd find a way to hear it as often as possible.

He reached across the table and took Loki's hand again. "It's nice out tonight... would you join me for a walk?  I'm not ready to let you go tonight." he said softly.

Loki's heart leapt and melted all at once. "I'd love to." With that voice and those eyes, there wasn't much Thor could ask of  him that Loki wouldn't do.

_"Loki, would you murder your own grandmother for me?"_

_"Yes, absolutely, Thor."_

 

Out into the city night they strolled, past the theater, past shops and decorated store windows until they came to a courtyard with a walking path. The city lights prevented them from seeing stars but the moon was nearly full. They held hands the entire time. When they paused near a bench Thor looked up at the moon and realized that Loki's skin was of the same color, almost exactly if it were not for the slight pink of his cheeks and lips. He admired him a moment too long and Loki huffed and batted his lashes.

  
"Well? Are you going to kiss me or not?" he grinned.

Thor smiled and turned his body into Loki's, taking his other hand as well and pulling him closer til their faces were inches apart. "I am indeed." he whispered.

The slight space between them closed and their lips met with a softness that Loki had forgotten could exist. Thor's lips were full and pouting and he just knew he'd be a great kisser... he was absolutely right.

Thor swore he could still taste the cherry on Loki's lips... but in fact wasn't convinced that perhaps this was just how Loki might taste in any case.

Thor wanted to take him home, _right now_. He was trying to recall what he told Natasha earlier that day but he had no idea it would he this hard.

They kissed and nuzzled and held gently held hands, sighed and smiled and kissed more. Loki wanted to take him home, but he didn't want to make this that again. Thor was incredible. He was everything Loki wanted and then some. He refused to fuck this up by sleeping with him this soon. They were still in the getting to know each other state and Loki promised himself that he'd enjoy that first.

"It's getting late... I should go." Loki whispered as he continued to nuzzle against Thor on the bench they shared, their hips pressed together, Loki fighting the urge to just crawl into the man's lap.

"Are you cold." Thor asked, concerned.

"A little," Loki lied, having no real excuse to want to leave his Adonis.

Thor wrapped an arm around him and squeezed him tight, kissing his temple. "Okay... let's go." He stood up and removed his jacket and put it around Loki's shoulders.

At the first cab they could get, Thor opened the door for Loki to get in. He'd not been invited to join him and for that he was a mixture of disappointed and relieved. If Loki asked him to come back to his place, he was positive he couldn't say no. Loki turned and pulled Thor's jacket off his shoulders and gave it back to him. "Will you call me?" he asked, green eyes looking up into Thor's and using those thick black lashes to their full power.

"Of course I will... unless you call me first, ... I'd like that, too." He leaned in and kissed Loki's cheek and then the corner of his mouth. Loki turned his head just enough to catch Thor's lips again with his then reluctantly slipped into the cab.

 

 

Thor got home at midnight. He assumed Loki probably had just gotten to his place as well. He had just kicked off his shoes and hung his suit up when his phone rang. He smiled and quickly fished it out of his pocket.

"Did you get home okay?" he asked to answer the call.

"I did. I forgot to thank you for dinner." Loki replied, and Thor could hear the smile in his voice.

"Well... that was rude. It's a good thing you called." he grinned. "I don't know that I could have forgiven that."

 

He unfastened his trousers, kicked them off and laid them over a chair before laying back in his bed.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" Loki asked. "I'd like to take you for brunch"

"Oh.. we're not going to be one of _those_ couples, are we."

Loki's laugh was heavenly.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this wasn't overly boring.


	5. Brunch Isn't Always Brunch

Loki took Thor to brunch early Sunday afternoon which turned into a three hour event. They started with fresh raspberries and champagne while they perused the menu. Once again, they decided to get a little bit of almost everything and share it. Loki got blueberry sugared- walnut pancakes with honey syrup, While Thor ordered eggs benedict with a side of corn beef hash. The waiter brought a pot of coffee to the table which went untouched when they only ordered more champagne.

"If we don't do something besides go out to eat, you're going to make me fat." Loki jested, popping another raspberry into his mouth then dropped two into Thor's champagne glass.

"Then we'll have to start finding things to do other than going out to eat." Thor offered in a suggestive tone, giving Loki a quick up and down look, and that heart melting smile.

Loki smirked and took a sip of champagne, swallowed, set his glass down, placed his elbow on the table with his chin resting on his knuckles, "Such as?" he asked pointedly and then didn't move to pick up his fork until he got his answer.

Thor smiled through his chewing until he swallowed. "Oh... I don't know... maybe... we could catch a movie?" he teased and reached across the table to stab a bite of Loki's pancakes with his fork.

Loki watched him. "At a theater?" he nearly pouted.

Thor chuckled, "Or.... maybe at my place... a cozy, lazy Sunday afternoon ... cuddled on the sofa... maybe a blanket or two.... maybe some wine..... " he offered in the most casually suggestive way. "... we could kick off our shoes... "

"Mmm... " Loki hummed, "that sounds nice. Perfect, actually.  Maybe I could drop by my place on the way and pick up something more comfortable to change into."

Thor paused a moment and took a sip of champagne, "If you'd like .... or you could just wear something of mine.... or nothing  and I could just wrap you up in a blanket.... or wrap you up in me." he smirked. That was the champagne talking. Not that Thor didn't mean it, but he was maybe being a little forward for a third date ... a third date in three days. Three days ago Loki was still a stranger. It made him think of what it would be like tomorrow when they headed back to work on that same train. Would the other passengers notice? Would they realize that the two strangers that rode with them every day were now seeing one another? 

"I don't think your clothes will fit me.... so I'll have to chose the latter." Loki smiled coyly.  
There, it was done. There was no mistaking either of their intentions now.

 

 

 

Thor unlocked his door to his apartment with his free hand. The other had been holding Loki's since they were in the cab. He'd managed to keep his lips off of him on the way up to the fifth floor in the elevator only because one of his neighbors from the sixth floor was with them.

The key slid in effortlessly, turning with a soft click, opening the door and allowing Loki to step inside first. Thor stepped in behind him and in one fluid movement, shut the door, locked it, turned and gently pushed Loki's back against his hallway wall. He didn't hesitate to press his lips to Loki's and didn't intend to stop kissing him til they both needed air... or Loki resisted. He had one hand on Loki's narrow hip, the other on his jaw, his fingers curling back around his neck to keep him closer.

Loki had absolutely no intention of resisting. He loved how strong Thor felt holding him there against his wall and demanding his kiss. It didn't keep him from making a surprised whimper and as the kisses grew in their passion, a low moan escaped his throat.

Thor liked that ... very much. "Mm... that's nice..." he grunted, "... the sounds you make... I want to learn them.... know what every little nuance of them means."

Loki huffed, "They mean... I _like_ this.. " he whispered, getting breathless.

"I like _you_...." Thor hummed.

Loki grinned and jutted his hips out and turned his face up so that Thor's mouth traveled down his chin and neck. "What do you like about me?"

Thor pulled back a moment and looked into Loki's eyes. "Everything I know so far. Definitely everything I see." he gushed, and continued his kisses down Loki's neck, nipping gently to get that same vocal reaction from him. He could tell that Loki would be vocal in bed and he couldn't be happier about that.

"Don't you want to know if I like you back?" Loki teased with a bat of eye lashes.

Thor slid his hand down Loki's hip, over the firm roundness of his ass and pulled his hips against his own, feeling their half erections against each other. Thor groaned lowly. "I'd venture a guess that you do.... " he smiled, rutting softly against Loki which pulled the most delicious sound from him.

Loki turned his head to look down the short hall way into the larger than expected apartment. "Nice place." he commented flatly. "Does it have a bedroom?" he asked turning back and pulling Thor's bottom lip between his teeth.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated lately. My life is a mess and I just couldn't bring myself to do anything but work and sleep.


	6. Things Escalate

 

 

"Just so we're clear... I don't do this... not normally." Loki insisted as he lowered himself over Thor on the bed. Thor's fingers were making quick work of unfastening Loki's shirt. Loki straddled him and was just as deftly unbuttoning Thor's shirt.

"Do what? Sleep with men?" Thor smirked playfully. "Am I your first?"

Loki slowly slid his hands over Thor's broad chest, pulling the shirt open. His mouth agape at the pure beauty of the torso he had unveiled. He rolled Thor's nipples between his fingers and pinched them every so slightly in reply to Thor's questions. "Yes...you're my first." he agreed softly, sarcastically playing along . "Will you be gentle with me?" he asked, he batted his eye lashes and feigned innocence.

"I'll be anything you want me to be." Thor replied, grabbing Loki's hips and gently bucking up into him.

"Oh? you might be sorry you said that." Loki danced his fingers down Thor's chest until they came to his waistband. He teased for a moment before beginning to unfasten the buckle, slowly, without taking his eyes off of Thor's face.

Thor gazed up at him, "I can't think of a single reason I'd be sorry for this." he said lowly, fighting the urge to flip him over onto his back and yank his clothes off. It was a bit surreal to find himself here with his stranger from the train. It seemed like only yesterday they met, okay, so it _was_ only three days ago, but yet at the same time, he felt as if he'd known him this intimately forever.

Loki pulled his own shirt off and tossed it to the side. Upon seeing the lithe, pale form with all it's perfectly proportioned muscles, Thor's reserve crumbled. Grabbing hold of his hips, he pulled him down and tossed him off of him onto his back and switched positions with him, yanking his own shirt off before laying his large, warm hands over Loki's chest, over his shoulders and down his arms, back up again and down his chest. "Mmm.. perfect." he murmured. Loki rolled his eyes and smirked.

 "I'm a professional... I know a perfect figure when I see one." Thor grinned. "You really should pose for me."

Loki laughed, "Oh you artist-types... always trying to get someone naked for the sake of _art!"_ he joked.

"Well.. not _just_ art." Thor smirked.

 

 

Thor wasn't one for commitment. At least he hadn't been. He had an active sex life but there really hadn't been anything beyond that. He had immersed himself in work for years and never came across anyone that he really felt any need to settle down with. His job afforded him a lifestyle where he could meet lots of people and traveled often, expanding his scope of one and two night stands to cities abroad. It was all fun and his partners were never left unsatisfied, unless of course they had intents upon keeping Thor. He enjoyed the company of both men and women and really had no preference for one over the other.

Upon first sight of Loki on the train, it started out as just another conquest. It wasn't that Thor was shallow. He truly loved people and he loved spending time with them. He loved buying them dinners and gifts and making them feel good both sexually and emotionally. He was always clear what his intentions were before he ever let it get too far. It was never his intention to hurt anyone's feelings but he simply didn't need to be, or want to be, tied down to anyone.

So why then, had he not expressed this same sentiment to Loki before they got this far? It would certainly be too awkward to say anything now. Not only would it kill the mood but there was a chance that he'd hurt Loki's feelings. Looking down at him now looking so perfectly beautiful on his bed, it just wasn't an option.

 

"Everything okay?" Loki asked, brows ever so slightly furrowed, concerned as Thor gazed down at him perhaps a moment too long making it seem more like hesitation than adoration,  while his hands slowly stroked up and down his torso and shoulders.

Thor nodded, "Absolutely." he answered softly. "I just can't believe  you're here." he replied truthfully.

Loki licked and gently bit his bottom lip. "Is that a good thing?" he asked. Were they going too fast too soon? "That I'm here?"

Thor leaned over and kissed that bottom lip, "It's a very good thing." he said lowly.

Loki's hands slipped over Thor's hips and tugged gently at his waistband, then popped the button open and slowly slid the zipper down with one hand while his other closed in over the firm bulge there. He let out a soft gasp at the feel of him so large in his hand. He glanced up through long lashes as he pulled his boxers down enough in front to release Thor's manhood from it's confines. Loki's eyes darted down a moment and he let out a sigh when he was able to get a glimpse of what his hand already knew.. Thor was as large as he knew he would be. He began to wonder just what Thor would want and expect from him. It had been months since he had been intimate with anyone and though he lead a healthy masturbation routine, he hadn't exactly kept himself prepared for this.

 

Thor groaned as soon as Loki's long fingers wrapped around his cock and he thrust into his hand gently. He wasn't completely hard yet but with this kind of friction and this beautiful creature underneath him, it was only a matter of seconds. He too, slid one hand down between Loki's legs and pressed his hand there firmly before unfastening Loki's trousers as well, not wasting any time with getting flesh to flesh contact. He gave Loki's pretty cock a tug, sliding his thumb over the head which he was rewarded with a lovely whimper from his lover.

Loki tugged Thor's trousers off over his hips, slowly pulling them down over his ass while Thor kissed him, moaning hotly into his mouth. Thor moved to help get the pants off, then just as deftly worked Loki's off leaving them both completely bare. Only slightly breathless from kissing, Thor took a moment to sit back on his heels and take in Loki's beauty. He was an artist and taught a class in figure study, he witnessed nudity frequently but yet he found Loki's body to be perfectly exquisite in a way that left his mouth gaping.

Loki had never had any complaints. He might be a bookworm but he worked out,  practiced yoga daily, lifted just enough weight to keep himself toned but not too bulky as it wouldn't fit his frame. He reached behind his head and yanked the elastic out that held his hair up and shook his head slightly to allow his black tresses to fall around his face and back on the bed. Thor smiled and did the same, letting his golden hair fall like a curtain around their heads as he leaned in to take more kisses from those cherry pink lips.

"What would you like?" he whispered.

Loki thought briefly on this as he was kissed. Would he disappoint Thor if he asked for condoms?

"Whatever you want... but.... I don't have anything... with me." he said soft and low, his voice a little ragged and breathless.

"I do..." Thor offered, "but... I want to suck your pretty cock." he breathed and sunk his teeth gently into Loki's neck, earning him a louder groan.

He kissed and nipped his way down Loki's torso, biting each hip bone, licking the head of Loki's cock once, then twice before pulling his legs apart gently and kissing and nipping at his inner thighs.

Loki's hips wriggled and writhed, his breath quickening, lifting his hips up to meet Thor's mouth to beg for more. Thor looked up for a moment, catching Loki's eyes with his own. Taking Loki's cock in his hand and gave it a few quick strokes then closed his wet, warm mouth around it and took it as far as he could, relaxing his throat so that he could get a bit more of him down and buried his nose in the soft black curls at the base of Loki's cock.

Loki gasped, whimpered, moaned and rewarded Thor with the most lovely little series of "ahhs" that he'd ever heard all while Thor bobbed up and down on that pretty cock. He reached up and took Loki's hand and pulled it into his hair. Loki took the hint and gently took a handful of Thor's blonde locks and massaged gently at his scalp. When the intensity of Thor's sucking heightened, he accidentally tugged Thor's hair. Thor moaned and pulled his mouth off of his cock for a moment, "Yes... pull my hair, baby." he encouraged him and sunk down on his member again.

Loki didn't need to be told twice. As soon as Thor's mouth was back on him, sucking all of him in, he buried both hands into the nest of blond and gently tugged. Thor grunted affirmatively so Loki pulled a little harder and again, Thor moaned affirming his pleasure, leaving the vibration of his sounds over Loki's sensitive cock.

Loki's hips jerked up into his mouth and he began to guide Thor's head by the hair. This was exactly what Thor wanted and he left more moans along Loki's erection, his hand gently fondling his balls, his saliva making Loki's skin slick, making it all the easier to slip a long, thick middle finger between his ass cheeks and played over his entrance.

  
"Thor!" Loki gasped.

Thor pulled his finger away slowly as if apologizing.

"No..." Loki insisted, "Keep doing that... please... I'm .... so close."

Thor moaned again, fingering Loki's tender hole just enough to arouse him all the more but not going any further to enter him.

That last moan put Loki over and edge and he grasped Thor's hair, pulling him down into his hips, "AHh.... Thor... now!" he blurted out in warning him but Thor didn't budge. He continued until he felt the burst of hot salty-sweet come layer over his tongue. He stilled a moment letting Loki use his hair to give him the guidance and make his own rhythm til he finished. When Loki's grip loosened, Thor gently pulled off, laying kisses along Loki's thighs and stomach.

 

Loki was panting, coming down from his high as he felt Thor's soft lips on his stomach. "You ... didn't have... to do that." he breathed.

Thor looked up. "Do what... please you?" he smirked.

"Swallow." Loki commented and laid his hand over his eyes.

Thor kissed a path up Loki's body til he got to his lips, his eyes still covered, he kissed him. "I couldn't resist." he commented.

He lay there a moment more to recover, fighting the urge to sleep. He wanted to repay Thor for that spectacular blow job, the likes of which he not had in far too long.

"Your turn.." Loki purred, pulling his hand away from his face and moving it to curl around Thor's neck and pull him back into more kisses.

Thor returned the kisses eagerly, allowing Loki to taste himself on his lover's tongue. He pulled away but stayed close, "Let me get some lube... is that alright?" he asked softly.

Loki nodded, and showed no sign of concern on his visage though he wasn't sure he could give Thor what he was asking for right now. Thor leaned back and opened a bedside drawer and was back in seconds with a silver tube.

"Thor?" Loki began, looking up at him nervously. Not that he didn't want to be taken, albeit harshly and demandingly by this Adonis, but honestly, he had to be able to walk... and _sit_ , tomorrow. "I'm ... not sure that I can.... I mean.... I wasn't joking when I said I haven't done this in a-"

"No darling..." Thor interrupted , "not that... I want to do something else... if you allow it, that is." Of course he wanted to fuck Loki into his bed hard and fast but he knew Loki was too sensitive for that now, and he could tell by fingering him earlier that there would be too much preparation that would need to be done. He knew he was a large man and he wasn't expecting something like that so soon. "Between your thighs?" he asked with brows raised in question. "Unless you'd rather just use your hand on me... I'd love that too." he smiled.

Loki grinned and nodded, "Oh.... yes... yes, okay." he murmured and began to move onto his hands and knees, clenching his legs together.

Thor's only regret here was that he couldn't see Loki's face... an obvious disadvantage. He made a mental note to make that up to himself later.

 

Squirting some of the clear, creamy liquid onto his fingers, he chuckled as Loki wiggled his ass at him. "You're making it far too tempting to do something else... " he joked before smoothing the creamy substance gently between Loki's upper thighs and then stroking it along his cock.

"I promise... that will happen ... soon." Loki confirmed and gasped lightly at the feel of the cool liquid touch his skin. He bucked his hips back towards Thor, encouraging him to get started.

Thor hummed lowly, grabbing Loki's ass cheeks and stilling him so that he could slide his slick cock between his clenched thighs. "Ohh... baby... if you feel and look this good just by doing this..." he sighed.

Loki whined and pushed back onto him. "Fuck me." he whispered.

 

Thor had wondered if Loki had any kinks and Loki had wondered if Thor liked to talk dirty. All of their questions would be answered, eventually, but this would be the start. Loki relished in every moment of the newness of it. Thor had an odd feeling that he couldn't quite identify in the pit of his stomach or the back of his mind that this was going to be more than a fling with Loki. He wasn't sure how he felt about that yet, but at this particular moment, he wasn't thinking clearly anyway.

He thrust his cock between Loki's thighs eagerly, holding tightly to his hips and using them like handles to yank his slim frame back to him til his thighs could be heard slapping against Loki's. Loki returned the thrusts just as eagerly. He wasn't being fucked properly, no, but the very feeling of that thick cock sliding between his legs and brushing ever so pleasantly against his balls had brought his erection back to it's former glory once again.  He couldn't lift a hand from the mattress to do anything about it less he'd be toppled over and ruin Thor's enjoyment so he just let it slap into his belly with each thrust. Thor being the attentive lover that he was, sensed this and used one of his own hands to reach around and take care of Loki's growing pleasure. His hips jerked steadily and sharply until he was so close he began to falter in his gyrations.

With the new sensation now of Thor's large, warm and capable hand bringing him to completion, again, Loki gave him a deluge of "Ohs" and "Ahs" and whimpers that set Thor over the edge and when his hot seed burst through Loki's thighs and onto his balls, he too, came again with what he thought was a most embarrassing scream of pleasure. Thor hummed and kissed his spine over and over. Oh, how he loved that Loki was so vocal.

He slowly lowered Loki to the bed, letting him get comfortable before landing on the mattress just after him, spooning him and wrapping one arm around his waist, lazily kissing the back of his neck and shoulders. Loki chuckled softly and pulled Thor's hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles. "That's a first for me." he admitted. "I"ve never been so discreetly fucked before."

Thor laughed and shook them both. "Discreetly?"

Loki turned his head slightly and looked at Thor. "Mm-hm... wasn't that the virgin version of being fucked?"

Thor hummed and picked his head up to meet Loki's lips in a short kiss. "Well.. I don't want to get you knocked up on our third date." he joked.

 

 

They ended up falling asleep until later that evening, around dinner time, when Thor woke and peeled himself away from the sticky mess that he'd fully intended to avoid by not falling asleep but instead getting up and bringing some towels to the bed. Alas, that did not happen and now they were crusty and sticky and wincing when Thor peeled his soft cock off the back of Loki's ass. "I'm sorry." he whispered, "come shower with me." he suggested, giving Loki a pat on his bare ass.

"How long did we sleep?" Loki asked, seeing as it was now dark outside, "What time is it?" he squinted at the clock.

"Six thirty." Thor answered. "I'm starving... wanna get some take out?"

Loki rolled off the side of the bed that Thor left and joined him in the bathroom when he heard the water running. "That sounds great." he said as he stepped into the shower with him. Thor looked even better soaking wet, if that was possible. His body shiny with water running down it, accentuating every muscle and curve. "Mmm... " he hummed as he slid into Thor's waiting arms, pulling him close against him and kissing him.

"This was fun. Thanks for brunch." Thor smiled and poured some shampoo into his hand.

Loki quirked a brow. "Throwing me out?" he mused. "Wham, bam thanks for the omelette."

Thor chuckled and scrubbed the shampoo into his hair then slid his soapy hands down Loki's firm body, wrapping them completely around his waist and pulling his ass against his cock. He kissed the crook of his neck. "Nope.... kinda hoping you'll stay over, actually." he murmured. There was that nagging little feeling again. He never asked a lover to stay over before. Where was this coming from?

Loki only chuckled and turned around in his arms to face him. "We have to work tomorrow.. I do at least. Besides, I have to feed my cat... she'll be climbing the walls.  Raincheck?"

Thor nodded. "Of course. But you'll stay for dinner?"

"Of course." Loki pecked his lips.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Work

 

 

 

"You didn't stay over?" Darcy exclaimed at the news that Thor had indeed invited Loki to stay over the night before.

Loki shook his head and smacked his lips after taking a sip of his tea. "Nope."

Darcy, wide-eyed and mouth agape threw her hands up. "A _gorgeous_ man that has been practically _stalking_ you for two months on the commute asks you to stay over after you've _already had sex_ and you say _no_? WHY?"  she demanded pounding her hands on the counter top.

"How do you know what we did? I didn't say.."

"Yes.. you did... you said it in the way you look today... in everything you do and say... " Darcy stopped him mid-sentence  "See... right there.. that look!" she insisted, pointing at his face.

"Shush..." he murmured and turned and took his tea into his office, "I'm on lunch." he turned and smiled and shut the door in her face with a soft click of the latch.

 

Loki had wanted to stay, truly he did, but he was already having insecurities about sleeping with him so soon. Thor certainly hadn't treated him any differently since then and nothing seemed out of kilter. He greeted him on the train that morning with a warm smile, sat with him, said lovely things and gave the appropriate amount of physical contact that he could have for a public place. Loki thought of each one now, retracing each touch in his mind;

an intentional nudge with his arm when he sat down beside him,

his fingers on Loki's hand for a moment as they spoke,

a close lean-in where he could feel Thor's breath on his cheek, that counted as a touch he thought,

a squeeze of his hand when Thor was about to get up to leave,

then lastly, his hand rested and dragged over Loki's shoulder just as Thor stood and exited.

Then, there was the things he said throughout their conversation;

_"You look great. Really great."_

_"I had fun yesterday... and last night."_

_"When can I see you again?"_

_"Did I say you look wonderful this morning?"_

_"I'll call you later."_

Loki curled up on the sofa with his tea and tuna croissant sandwich, book and cell phone and for the second time since this morning, checked his texts. He smiled when he saw he had four waiting.

_10:48_  
_I wish I could see you at lunch today. I have meetings all through the morning and afternoon. I'm distracted. Any idea why? ;)_

_10:50_  
_Natasha said I shouldn't have asked you to stay last night. She said it was too much too soon. Did I make you feel pressured? If so, I'm sorry. I really like being with you._

_11:44_  
_Grabbing a quick lunch before meeting with the artist. You should really consider coming to my class tomorrow night. I'd love to have you._

_11:44_  
_You know what I mean. Though I mean it the other way it sounded too. ;)_

 

Loki chuckled and hummed softly, squirming slightly in his seat and biting his lip.

12:45  
In answer to your recent inquiries:  
I think I have some idea, yes. I am having the same issue.  
No, you did not make me feel pressured at all. I really like being with you too.  
Perhaps I will if your offer still stands to borrow your materials.  
I was hoping you meant it the other way, too.

He finished his lunch and ten pages of his book which he'd have to re-read later as he hadn't absorbed one single thing from the chapter. His thoughts wandered.

 

 

 

Thor was smiling when he entered his office that morning, for no apparent reason.

"Look at you.... being all the cock of the walk." Natasha remarked when she saw him.

"Morning."

"I take it the weekend was ... enjoyable?"

"Very."

She huffed and handed him some photos to take to his first meeting with him. "Are you going to keep smiling like that?"

"Maybe."

"Did he do something to your tongue or are you going to answer everything with one word today?"

Thor smiled a little more and went into his desk and began reviewing the photos. He was checking his phone when Nat came in. "So... details" she said planting herself in a chair across from him with a look that said she wasn't budging until he gave up some info.

Thor grinned and sat back in his chair, resting his hands behind his head. "I don't kiss and tell."

"So there was kissing? Anything more?"

"Maybe."

"You're incorrigible." she rolled her eyes. "You slept with him already? So, are you done or are you going to see him again?"

"I asked him to stay over."

Nat's eyes went wide and she sat forward. "Whoa... _you_... asked him to stay the night? _Did_ he?"

Thor shook his head. "No... but we had dinner.  I think if we didn't both have to work this morning he might have stayed."

Natasha narrowed her eyes at him and quirked one brow. "Little presumptuous, aren't you? You like this guy that much... don't go scaring him off... and if you aren't serious about him... make sure he knows it."

Thor thought on how he felt about Loki so far most of the morning when he wasn't neck deep in meetings and phone calls. He liked Loki... a lot. He wasn't sure why he asked him to stay last night other than he liked him and he was having a good time with him. He was even willing to admit that there was something different about him that Thor hadn't encountered with anyone ever before. By the time he was able to check messages again, Loki had returned his from earlier.

_2:46_  
_My offer stands. Unless of course your changing your mind about posing. That wouldn't be distracting to me at all. ;)_

_4:58_  
_Leaving work soon. I feel compelled to purchase the most recent edition of the latest novel that's on the Best Sellers List - whatever that might be._

5:14  
Are you referring to The Princess Diarist or Girl On a Train? I didn't figure you for either but we carry both should you need it urgently.

_5:16_  
_It's not exactly that that I need urgently._  
_I want to see you._

 

5:17  
:)  
I can't leave, Darcy just left, but if seeing me is all you need, I'm here til 6

 

_5:19_  
_Hm, I may need a bit more that just seeing. What happens after 6? Home?_

 

5:20  
At 6 I lock the doors and wait til my 6:30 train home.

 

At 5:25 the shop door opened and Loki's heart leapt a little when his Adonis walked through it. Thor looked around casually seeing as there were at least two other customers there. He nonchalantly picked up a hardcover book and took it to the counter where Loki stood watching him, smirking.

"Do you recommend this?" he asked, putting the book on the counter acting as any other customer.

Loki glanced at it, and smiled. "The Nightingale? Hm.." he grunted, "a bit depressing but it's well written."

"Perhaps ... you could make a better suggestion." Thor replied in a deep, soft voice and leaned into the counter a little more.

"Mm well, sir... why don't you tell me what your interests are and I can better guide you to something you might enjoy."

Thor smiled, liking their little game as much as Loki was. Did this count as their first role play? He supposed only if it ended up in the back room with Loki's pants around his knees.

"My interests are pretty diverse,... but I'm thinking I might like something a little lighter. Something... romantic?" he offered.

"Oh.. a romantic comedy, then?" Loki quipped with the tilt of his head.

Thor smiled. "Something like that."

"Or do you mean something... hot and steamy?" Loki asked, leaning over the counter and lowering his voice so that the other customers wouldn't hear.

"That sounds perfect, actually." Thor grinned. "Do you have anything like that?"

"Well... I don't think I have anything like that here..." he cleared his throat and stood straighter, " but I could check the back room if you don't mind waiting until I take care of this young lady." Loki replied in his business voice once that he saw that his customer had her purchases in hand and was coming up behind Thor.

Thor moved to the side and let the woman pay for her items, watching Loki from off to the side, maybe making him a bit nervous though he wouldn't know it if he was. Loki looked cool as can be. The last customer checked out right after the first and then they were alone.

"So... you think you might have what I'd like in the back room?" he asked with a hint of insinuation.

Loki grinned and came around from the back of the counter with his keys. "I think maybe I can find something you'd like, sir." he replied, walked past him and locked his front doors and pulled the blinds down and shut off the main lights leaving them in only the light from the front windows and the ambient light from behind the counter where Loki always counted his drawer and receipts for the day.

Thor liked that Loki still played along, even calling him 'sir', which led him to believe that perhaps he'd be into Thor's little kinks that he had. Loki paused before him and stood close to him.

"If you'll follow me... I can show you what you want." he replied suggestively.

  
Thor followed him behind the counter and into the back room. Loki shut the door and was soon wrapping his arms around Thor's broad shoulders and moaning softly into the kiss. Thor's hands traveled from around his waist down over his hips and cupped his pert ass in both palms. "Mmph.." he grunted into the kiss and squeezed Loki's bottom firmly. "I thought about doing this all day." he admitted when he finally pulled away to take a breath.

Loki brought a hand up to stroke Thor's stubble and then up through his hair. "Want to know what I thought about all day?" he smirked and before Thor could say another word, Loki was sliding down his body and to his knees. He gazed up at him as he unfastened his belt and zipper. Thor sucked in a short breath. He hadn't anticipated this at all.

Loki stroked Thor's half hard cock in his hand, dragging his tongue over the head and slit making Thor gasp and gripped the back of Loki's neck. "Baby.." he breathed, and gazed down at the bright green eyes that looked back up at him. He watched as Loki took most of his length into his mouth and momentarily, his eyes shut just from the sheer pleasure of it. "Oh god... " he moaned.

Loki set the pace, bobbing up and down on Thor's manhood as he only got bigger until Loki couldn't fit more than half of him into his mouth. Thor had to know that he was unusually large and he wondered if he was even doing a good enough job to please him. He paid extra special attention to the head while he used his saliva to fondle Thor's balls in one hand, and hold the base with the other and stroke what he couldn't fit into his mouth and throat. Having a cock himself, he knew the most sensitive area was the head so he flicked his tongue over the slit every so often, earning a low groan from his Adonis.

Thor resisted the urge to move much at all. Loki was doing the work but  oh... what a great job he was doing. Thor smoothed the loose strands of black tendrils that escaped Loki's bun and panted lightly as he watched him. "That's wonderful, baby.... oh god.... _yes_.... I'm so close.... so close baby..." he panted, "do you want me to?"... Loki nodded vigorously and hummed to send that vibration down his cock which is the last thing Thor needed to hit his climax. " _Fuck, baby_!" he gasped, tossing his head back a moment and braced himself with one hand on the desk as he filled Loki's pretty mouth with all he had. He stilled, and let Loki have the control, panting and groaning lowly.

 

Loki swallowed everything Thor gave him, carefully slipping off and licking a stripe from base to tip making Thor shudder with the sensitivity. "AHH.." he sighed and pulled away slowly, still holding the base and resting the head on the flat of his tongue.

Loki wiped his mouth and chin with the back of his hand and slowly stood, meeting Thor with a kiss.

"Was that what you were looking for, sir?" he asked with his raspy, but professional sounding tone once again.

 

Thor huffed a small laugh and nodded. "That was exactly what I was looking for." He tucked himself away and pulled Loki close and held him. "Baby... you're full of surprises. "That was ... amazing... really." he breathed and burrowed his nose into the crook of Loki's neck, inhaling his scent, kissing and nipping the soft skin there.

 

Loki smiled. "Buy me a drink?" he asked, tilting his head and running his finger over Thor's jaw.

"Baby, I'll by you a bar!" he responded. He slid his hand down the front of Loki's body and cupped his still fully clothed cock. "First this?"

He kissed him again and again, eyeing the sofa just behind them and backed Loki up to it and gently lowered him to sit. He sunk down onto his knees and spread Loki's legs so that he could kneel between them. He quickly unfastened Loki's trousers and opened them, leaned forward and burrowed his nose and mouth into the soft black curls and inhaling him again. The sweet musk filling his nose, he darted his tongue out to lick at him then leaned back and gently pulled Loki's hardening cock out and stroked it firmly, slowly.

"You have the prettiest cock I've ever seen..." he said, gazing down at the member in his hand. Loki chuckled and brushed his hands over Thor's face and hair.

"Well, I consider that a huge compliment since you've seen so many." he smirked.  He bit his lip when Thor leaned over and sucked just the head, flicking his tongue over the slit. Loki whimpered softly and rested his head back on the sofa while his hands carded through Thor's hair.

"I love the sounds you make... " he growled lowly, "...makes me want to devour you." He sunk his mouth down completely on Loki's cock until his nose was buried in those soft, musky curls again. He slowly pulled almost all the way off then back down again, increasing his speed with every pass. He placed his hands firmly down on Loki's hips to keep him in place, having his way with him. When Loki tugged at his hair, Thor groaned and sent that lovely vibration down Loki's shaft, making the man groan blissfully and jerk his hips against Thor's hands and mouth.

"Ahh... Thor.... ohmygod... yessss..." Loki moaned, letting go a little more now that he knew how much Thor liked it when he was vocal about his pleasure.

Thor pulled off a moment but kept a steady rhythm with his hand. "Come in my mouth," he whispered, "fuck my mouth." He let go of Loki's hips and only used his mouth on him, letting Loki take over.

Take over he did indeed. Loki grasped the blond waves spilling from between his fingers and began to steadily move his hips up into Thor's mouth as he had insisted. His thrusts grew in their strength the closer to climax he got and then he staggered his movements and pressed his head back into the cushions, letting out a loud gasp at the first spurt that shot from his cock and into Thor's hot mouth. He had no idea at first how hard he was holding Thor's hair but he released his grip a little and thrust into his mouth again, spilling inside his throat, seeing stars behind his closed eyes and making all the wonderful sounds that Thor loved.

 

Thor's hands were under his ass, holding him up in place and slowly lowered him back to the sofa once the aftershocks of his orgasm left him limp. Loki lay there panting a moment. He huffed a slight laugh and looked up at Thor who was smiling like a Cheshire cat and then gently kissing the tops of his thighs.

"How about that drink now?" Thor murmured.

"Give me... a minute... or ten." Loki sighed and chuckled.

 

 

 

 


	8. Broken Promises

 

 

 

Tuesday night, Loki attended Thor's figure drawing class, as promised, making it the fifth day in a row that he'd seen Thor. Five dates in five days. It wasn't that he wasn't having a great time, and really enjoyed Thor's company, but there was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that this was too much, too soon. He'd had affairs like this before that ended as quickly as they began because there was just no where to go but down.

Before leaving his apartment to get a cab to the museum, he ate a light dinner, did some yoga to relax and then meditated. It centered him and helped clear his mind. 

While he showered, he promised himself that he would take things slower with Thor. It was Tuesday so perhaps they could make a date to see each other again on Friday. Maybe Saturday. No sleeping together. No sex and definitely no sleeping over. While he dressed, he decided that this was a good idea. He had to keep Thor's interest by holding back a little more.

He wore his hair down, a green sweater that was a little loose on him but still hung nicely over some tight black jeans and grey shoes. He thought he was downplaying it tonight but that didn't stop Thor from gushing over him when he arrived, instantly pulling him behind a wall before the class began to filter in and kissed him, his hands lightly resting on his hips so that his fingers could ease up under the loose fitting sweater to touch Loki's bare skin underneath.

 

Thor was still dressed in his suit from work earlier that day. He discarded the jacket and tie and loosened  his shirt but it did nothing to take away from his sharp look. "Thanks for coming. I think you'll enjoy it." he murmured softly, brushing his lips against Loki's neck.

Loki instantly felt aroused and pulled back slowly. "You know what that does to me.... " he whispered, "...you have students coming in."

Thor grinned and let him go , for now. He adjusted his shirt and gave Loki one last peck on the lips before turning to greet his class.

"Good evening, professor." one woman said to him and Thor nodded his reply.

"Professor," Loki whispered behind him and when Thor turned to look back over his shoulder at him, Loki just smiled and quirked a brow.

 

 

The class was enjoyable for Loki and he found that he had much more capabilities if not talent than he had remembered in college. That, or perhaps he was trying a little extra hard to impress his professor. He smiled to himself when he thought of calling Thor that. He was trying to remember to tone it down a little more with him but that was just too hard to resist. He could tell Thor liked it when he whispered it back to him.

"You lied to me..." Thor said lowly as he came up behind Loki. He was making his way around the circle of students in the room that were doing quick pencil studies, five minutes each, as the model changed poses just as often. "...you're quite good."

Loki tilted his head and continued to sketch, "Thank you... professor." he replied, trying to sound casual but he heard Thor's almost non verbal low hum of approval.

The class took a break at 7:45 so that the model could relax for fifteen minutes. Everyone dispersed in different directions, some to go outside to smoke, some to go get a drink from the vending machine, a few stayed and reorganized their tools and touched up sketches. Thor gave Loki a look, gesturing with a slight nod for him to come follow him and then slowly walked into a small room off the main one where he kept supplies such as easels and props for still life.

Loki of course followed.

"Shut the door." Thor said softly as he moved some items from a desk to a higher shelf on the wall. Loki closed the door and Thor turned to face him. "It was a bad idea asking you to come to my class." he said, trying to hide the smirk.

Loki furrowed his brow. "I thought you said I was ...."

Thor came toward him in two steps and wrapped his hands around his waist. "You're a terrible distraction." he admitted. "A gorgeous, wonderful distraction." he smiled and leaned in and took Loki's lips against his own.

Loki melted into his touch. Thor's lips were warm and full and made for kissing, his skin was meant for touching and he was so large and strong that Loki felt like surrendering to him when he held him like this. "Why professor... " he gushed, "this is most inappropriate... what will the rest of the class think?" he murmured playfully.

Thor moaned his approval. "Oh.. I like that. Shall we play a game later?" he smiled coyly and bit Loki's neck softly.

Loki hesitated. What were those promises he made himself earlier tonight? For the life of him he couldn't remember right now. Something about taking it slower? He pulled back so that he could meet Thor's eyes. "Do you like that?" he hummed, "Professor? "  His hands slid up and down Thor's broad back.

"I like that very much." Thor admitted. "Why don't you come over tonight?"

Loki bit his lip. "Tonight?" he repeated. Thor's eyes were so kind, so attentive and his smile could unravel any logical thoughts that Loki had.

 

"Okay." he agreed in a weak whisper before his lips were locked to Thor's again.

 

 


	9. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a fluffy, mushy moment. I only had time for a short chapter tonight and I was feeling rather gooey.

 

 

So much for the promises he made to himself.

 

Loki found himself not only in Thor's bed that night, but still wrapped in his arms when the sun was rising.

 

He rose just before 6:00 and slowly inched his way off the bed and away from his lover. He picked up his clothes from the floor along the way to the bathroom then quietly shut the door and dressed. He cursed himself for having stayed the night. Things were moving so fast with Thor. He was caught somewhere between wanting to slow things down and wanting to just dive in head first. Thor was everything he'd ever wanted in a man, smart, successful, kind and generous, affectionate and devoted, oh and then there was the fact that he was probably the most beautiful man he'd ever laid eyes on.

 

There was a soft knock on the bathroom door followed by a deep, even softer voice. "Are you leaving me?"

Loki opened the door just enough to see Thor's face. "I have to open the store." he replied quietly, as if there was another person in the room he might wake with his normal speaking voice.

"So? " he smiled, "Shower here, I'll make coffee." Thor answered, reaching through the door and brushing his hand along Loki's face. "I have a new razor you can use." he smirked.

"My clothes...."

"Don't wear any... "

Loki rolled his eyes and laughed softly.

"....for now. You can wear those to work... no one will know but you that they were on my bedroom floor. Come back to bed. We have time yet." he murmured, carding his hand through Loki's messed hair.

 

Loki was terrible at resisting him. Absolutely a failure at it.

 

An hour later, they laid beside one another, on their backs, panting and coming down from their climaxes. They hadn't yet had intercourse, but were becoming well skilled in the art of fellatio, knowing what each other liked best and what would bring about a slow, steady rise, or a quick orgasm. This was their first time attempting a sixty nine and neither of them lasted long. Loki began chuckling softly. Thor looked over at him and laughed too.

"What are we laughing at?" Thor asked

"You are laughing and you don't know?" Loki snorted.

"Your laughter is infectious. I can't help it."

Loki sighed and Thor rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand and gazed down at Loki, using his other hand to trace patterns over his bare chest. "I'm falling.... hard." he said in a low voice. His voice was all that Loki could hear and feel in the quiet room and his words filled his world leaving little room for anything else.

Loki smirked. "I was laughing at myself for feeling the same way."

"Why? Why do you laugh? Is it not a good thing?"

"It's a scary thing." Loki admitted.

Thor played with the long black tendrils of Loki's hair, twisting and laying them around his head in semi circles and swirls. "Scared I don't feel the same? Or scared it's too much too soon?"

"Both." Loki whispered, gazing into Thor's eyes, lost in his perfection.

Thor smiled and kissed his nose. "I do .... and it is... but it's wonderful. We're in it together."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	10. Propositions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The more serious Thor gets, the more nervous Loki is. 
> 
> Sorry, I haven't posted an update in a bit. Been busy writing another fic with my rp partner. Check it out, it's Canon and really good. At least, we think so. :)

 

 

For the next several days, Loki was walking on air. As was Thor. Yes, they were spending a lot of time together but they both eventually agreed that as long as they were enjoying each other's company, life was too short not to indulge.  
The night that Loki slept over wasn't repeated for another ten days, however. He at least tried to maintain a sensible amount of decorum. Besides, four of those nights Thor spent out of town on business. He offered Loki to come to Chicago with him but he declined. It wasn't that he didn't want to but it seemed like the kind of trip that people take after they've been seriously dating for a long time and Loki couldn't just up and leave the store. He wasn't completely ready to trust Darcy with it for that long.

The afternoon that Thor returned from his trip, he'd made plans with Loki to have dinner. It was a Saturday night so it was perfect should Loki decide to spend the night and Thor was definitely intending to invite him to do so.

As soon as he landed and had his bags, he sent a text.

_"I'm back. I can't wait to see you. When can I see you? :) "_

 

 

 

Loki was just finishing up the book-keeping at the store. He was expecting Thor a little earlier so he eagerly awaited a call or text and when his phone's text message alert went off, he grabbed it before it stopped dinging. He was in the middle of a reply when the phone rang.

 

"I was just texting you back." he answered the call.

 

"I couldn't wait .. I had to hear you." Thor replied, evidentially a smile in his answer.

 

"You just heard me this morning." Loki chuckled.

 

"Too long. Are you still at work?"

 

"Yes... just finishing up."

 

"Meet me at our place? I can be there in half and hour."

 

"Are you hungry?"  Loki quipped.

 

"Yes... you could say that."

 

"Are we still talking about Italian food?"

 

"I never was talking about food." Thor chuckled. "But we can go for dinner first."

 

Loki sneered, "Ha... ha... what did you mean by our place if you didn't mean Alfredos?"

 

"I meant my apartment. Our place."

 

Loki stilled and didn't know exactly what to say. Was Thor implying what he thought he was? He supposed he'd find out over dinner.

 

"Are you going to kidnap me and keep me there?" he asked.

 

"You cannot kidnap the willing, can you? And yes,... I'd very much like to keep you." he replied as he shut the door to his cab. He quickly gave the driver the address and turned his mouth back to his phone. "I'll change quick and then we can go for dinner?"

 

"Sure." he managed to reply. "I'll get a cab and be there soon."

 

"I'll leave the door unlocked. If I'm in the shower, just let yourself in."

 

"To the shower?" Loki smiled.

 

"Please?" Thor hummed.

 

 

***

 

Loki's cab was delayed so by time he arrived at Thor's, he was already out of the shower wearing only a towel low around his hips. Loki opened the unlocked door and was met with his shirtless boyfriend just walking out to find his phone to see if Loki was running late. "Traffic... " Loki sighed, tossing his shoulder bag down on the sofa and striding towards him, "I missed it." he pouted gesturing to Thor's overall form having recently come from the shower.

"You did... " he grinned and gathered Loki up into his arms anyway. "... we'll need one later anyway."

Loki rolled his eyes. Thor wrapped his arms around and held him, kissing his jaw and then lips. "I missed  you, baby."

"Missed you too." Loki murmured, holding on around Thor's massive shoulders.

Thor thought perhaps there would have been time for a quick _something_ with Loki but now he was legitimately starving and just wanted to go to dinner. He glanced at the meager shoulder bag that Loki left on the sofa. "That doesn't look like an overnight bag." he mused.

Loki smirked and pulled away to let Thor dress, looking down at his perfectly formed ass only enhanced by the taught white towel,  "I didn't agree to staying the night." he teased.

"You're damn right you're staying the night." he remarked as he started for his bedroom to get dressed.

Loki chuckled and went to the kitchen to get himself a drink of water. "I thought maybe I could stop at my place and feed Sasha and get some things on the way back here." he spoke loudly enough for Thor to hear him in the bedroom.

"That's fine." Thor hollered back.

 

Thor came back into the room, buttoning his fresh shirt as he walked over to Loki. He took the glass of water from his hand and set it on the counter, cupped Loki's face and kissed him again, long, slow, passionate kisses.

"What was that for?" Loki asked when he was let go.

"I just hadn't had enough." Thor replied.

Loki smiled and took his water again, "Good now?"

"No, but I'm starving so it will  have to wait."

 

 

During appetizers, they chatted about their last few days, work and trivial things. They'd skyped and texted and talked quite a bit while Thor was away so there was little to catch up on. 

"I have another trip coming up... I'd really like you to come." Thor mentioned.

"Okay...  where?"

"London." Thor answered.

Loki raised a brow and tilted his head. "London? For how long?""

"A week.... I'm assisting with an installation at the National Museum." He took a sip of wine and then answered Loki's next question before he could ask it. "End of the month. I leave on the 28th." He watched Loki's reaction as his boyfriend considered it but was obviously going through a range of thoughts and emotions in his mind in mere seconds.

"I don't know...." Loki began, "... I'm not sure Darcy can handle the store that long... and.."

Thor inched closer and took Loki's hand. "Darcy can handle it." he said solidly and squeezed Loki's hand. "It's only a week and... I really want you with me." he said softly and gazed straight into Loki's eyes.

Loki found it impossible to say no to anything when Thor looked at him like that or sounded like this. "Do I have to answer now?"

"No.. think about it. But I'm going to harp on you til you agree to come." he smiled slightly and sat back a bit, taking another bite of shrimp.

They finished their appetizers and the main course came. Thor topped off Loki's and his own wine with the bottle that he'd ordered for the table.

 

It wasn't that Loki didn't want to go. Who wouldn't want to go on an all expense paid trip to London with their gorgeous boyfriend. It also wasn't even that he didn't trust Darcy to run the store in his absence. What concerned him most about the trip and about staying at Thor's too often or any of it, was that in the past few weeks, he'd learned a lot about Thor. He learned that Thor had had a lot of relationships with a lot of people and that he hadn't been serious about any of them. The truth of it was that Loki was scared. He really liked Thor and even though Thor was saying the right things, and doing the right things, he still didn't think himself worthy enough of being the one person that Thor decided to get serious about.

 

"So.. I was thinking that maybe it might be a good idea for you to keep some stuff at my apartment." Thor stated during dessert.

"Why is that such a good idea?" Loki smirked and ate his cherry cheesecake. "What _kind_ of stuff?"

"Well.. a change of clothes at least. It's just ... _sensible_." he added. "We usually go out after work, my place is closer to your shop than your's is. Maybe you could start staying over on weekends." he added with a little shrug.

"From Friday til Sunday?" Loki asked.

"Or Monday?"

Loki chuckled. "I can't do that." he said softly and unconvincingly.

"Yes .... you can." Thor smiled and leaned into him a little. "I'll get a litter box for Sasha."

Well that was just it, wasn't it? Thor was going so far to say he'd make weekend arrangements for Loki's cat? Was he serious? Could he be that perfect?

"We'll see." Loki commented.

 

 

 

 


	11. Commitment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a standard 9 hour flight to London made much more interesting, courtesy of Thor.

 

Exactly three weeks after Thor returned from his short trip to Chicago, he was on his way to London, _with_ Loki... for a full week. He had to work most of those days but his nights were always free and he had finally convinced Loki to leave the shop to Darcy and come with him.

Loki finally accepted, partly because the past three weeks had been a whirlwind of serious-relationship-happiness and this just seemed like a natural progression, and partly because his very serious boyfriend, his very serious _gorgeous_ boyfriend was going to be in London for seven nights, alone. It's not that he didn't trust him but, better safe than sorry.

Thor got them first class seats and Loki wasn't the least bit surprised for some reason. He'd only ever been on a plane once before and it was nothing like this. "There's so much room...this might possibly be more comfortable than my bed." he said as he reclined half way.

"They go back all the way, " Thor smiled, "and... there's blankets... and these arm rest all but disappear when you do this." Taking the arm rest, he pulled it up and it folded down into the seat between them leaving it more like a double bed when you put the full sized blankets over them.

"Is this all part of your master plan to join the Mile-high club or something?" Loki smirked. Or was Thor already a member of that? He really didn't want to know and given that Thor didn't say anything and only kissed his cheek, gave him his answer.

In the past few weeks, Loki found himself in foreign territory. That being, he was feeling a bit intimidated and even jealous of Thor's previous lovers. He'd not had that with anyone before and it was a little unnerving.

 

 

 

One particular night a couple of weeks ago, Thor picked up from Loki's mood that something wasn't right. They had ordered take out and were sitting on the floor of Thor's living room eating it while watching North by Northwest on TCM. They discovered quickly that they were both Hitchcock fans and they were currently running a weekend marathon which gave Loki all the more reason to stay over. He still hadn't moved in on weekends as Thor had suggested, over and over again, but he did leave a change of clothes and a toothbrush there.

 

"You seem a little distant tonight. Did I say something stupid or ... something else going on?" Thor asked during the commercial. He scooted an inch over in Loki's direction.

  
"No... nothing you said." Loki replied honestly, frowning slightly. "It's just....it's stupid. I don't want to come off as being .... all... possessive and .... I don't know."

Thor leaned forward a bit and tilted his head to see Loki's eyes. His hair was down tonight and curtaining his face. Thor noticed he wore it that way when he was in this particular mood, maybe to hide his emotions? He was sure it wasn't intentional but he reached up and tucked a black strand behind Loki's ear to see him better. "Nothing you're feeling is ever stupid." he said softly. "And if anyone is acting possessive, it's me... always trying to get you to stay over for more than one night in a row." He leaned over and gently bit Loki's shoulder. "Tell me... or I'll do that biting thing."

"No! Don't!" Loki chuckled, shoving at Thor's shoulder with his hand while simultaneously jolting away from him. Once Thor found out Loki was ticklish when you bit or nibbled his waist or hip bone, he'd used it as a means to get whatever he wanted to know out of Loki. "Okay.. okay... wait." Loki ordered, holding one finger up in warning while Thor clicked his teeth and snarled at him.

"Tell me." Thor said again, lowly.

Loki shrugged his shoulders a little and picked up the remote to turn the volume down. Okay. He'd talk.

 "Why me?"

Thor cocked a brow, "Why you, what?"

"You've had lots of ... _relationships_ or whatever you want to call them. You said you've never been with anyone this long or ... this meaningful. Why are you with me?"

Thor leaned into him and rested his shoulder against Loki's, bowing his head slightly and looking up into his eyes under his long lashes. "Maybe you're the one." he replied softly.

 

 

 

The nine hour flight to London was ... interesting. Being an overnight flight, they were served dinner, drinks, of which they both had two, and settled in for some sleep... eventually. First class was quiet, save for the roar of the engines, and with the over head lights out, it was quite nice. They reclined their seats all the way, foot rests up, full sized pillows under their heads and used both blankets over the top of them. They kissed softly for the first several minutes after saying their good nights to one another. The kisses, as always, became lengthy and traveled beyond lips quite a bit.

Thor was first to get his hands under Loki's jumper.

There were a few hours where everyone in first class just slept during the overnight flight, and the steward didn't interrupt with anything unless he was called upon, so they were alone, for the most part, under their blanket.

"Can we do this... _here_?" Loki whispered. Thor had been kissing him and working those warm hands under his sweater til he had Loki practically panting.

"We can get away with .... _something_." Thor smirked, palming the bulge in Loki's trousers before unfastening them and pulling his zipper down.

 _"Thor..."_ Loki warned in low voice.

"Shhhh...." Thor hushed him and wrapped his hand around Loki's member, earning a gasp from the other. "Breath" he reminded him when he realized Loki was holding his breath.

 Loki's hands were planted firmly, gripping Thor's waist and shoulder and was trying to remain as still, and be as quiet as possible. He knew he was going to spill but he didn't want to but then Thor surprised him. "Oh god Thor... I'm ... stop...." he whispered. Just then, Thor flipped the blanket over his head and went down on Loki, taking all of him into his mouth at once and Loki lost it. He let out a sharp noise that, thankfully was muffled by the sound of the plane's engine. Thor waited, keeping his mouth on him until Loki jerked through the aftershocks. Then, Thor slowly and carefully pulled off, licking his slit to get the extra little whimper from Loki that he liked and returned to his prior position beside Loki. He smiled, cupped Loki's cheek and kissed his breathless lips.

"That was ... really nice..." Loki breathed.

Thor raised his brows, "Just nice? " he mocked, trying to sound offended.

"Really... _really_ nice... unexpected. Give me a moment and I'll return the nice." he grinned lazily.

Thor shook his head, "No... sleep." he whispered and kissed him again, tucking the blanket up around him. "You can make it up to me in London."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading my amateur smut.


	12. Expectations

 

Their suite in London was more extravagant that Loki expected. "This is.... wow..." he murmured as he went to the balcony and looked out the paned window doors that looked out over the Thames. "... are you more at the museum than you're letting on? This is like a room in the palace."

Thor chuckled and came up behind Loki and wrapped his hands around his waist, resting his chin on his shoulder and looking out over the partly sunny skies that made everything below them look like a postcard picture. "I can assure you... it's no where near like anything the palace has."

Loki tilted his head a bit to look over his shoulder at Thor. "Oh, why? Have you been there too?"

Thor only laughed and squeezed Loki, swaying him a bit side to side.

"Thank you for coming with me." he murmured.

"Thanks for _bringing_ me." he huffed.

 

Once they settled in and unpacked, they had  high tea in the restaurant downstairs. "I'm sorry I have to leave you alone already..." Thor began. "I shouldn't be too long. I just have to attend a preliminary meeting at the Museum. I should be out of there by dinner time. Wanna go out?"

Loki didn't need apologies. Thor was here for work, he knew that. Any time he could spend showing Loki around London was a bonus. "You're in charge... I'll follow wherever you lead."

Thor smirked. "Ohhh..." he hummed softly, "I _like_ the sound of that."

 

 

The past several weeks had brought them closer in every respect, and though Loki had slept overnight at Thor's a few times, they still had as of yet to fully consummate the relationship. Thor didn't push for it, and Loki was becoming increasingly worried that he didn't want to for some _reason._ Had they not fully explored the act of intimacy because Thor intended to dump him? Or, could it be that Loki really was special to him and he was waiting? Was he waiting for Loki to initiate it? It's not as though Loki was a virgin or something.

 

 

Thor took him to an extravagant dinner at Simpsons on the Strand, then drinks afterward at the Savoy next door. Loki assumed he'd made reservations at some point during that day since Thor's name was on a list at the door. The Savoy was elegant, romantic and ... expensive. Loki made a good living but he could get used to this, very quickly.

They ordered cocktails and canoodled at their corner table, drinking, laughing and under the table innocent touching of hands and knees and thighs, though nothing inappropriate. After Loki's uncustomary second drink, - and they were strong - he felt a little less reserved about bringing up his most recent insecurities with Thor.

"Sssoo... I was wondering..." Loki began, "...we've been ... _together_ , .. for awhile now."

"Mmm-hmm..." Thor smiled and leaned on the table on his elbow.

"Aaannd... we've been .... _enjoying_ everything we've been... _doing_ , right?"

"Mm... most definitely." Thor grinned wider.

Loki shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat and then took another large sip from his cocktail. He leaned over towards Thor a little closer. "Is there anything _else_... you'd like to enjoy?"

Thor feigned a very thoughtful look, furrowing his brows and pouting his lips. "Hmm..... " he hummed bringing his finger up to his lips, pausing for a moment, "...Nope. Can't think of anything." he shrugged then smirked slightly.

Loki quirked a brow then smiled, "OH.... alright then." he said, brushing if off lightly and taking another sip of his drink.

Thor leaned close enough to nuzzle his nose into the crook of Loki's neck, kissed his cheek and pulled back again. "What are you so worried about? Hm? Keeping me interested? Because I am... " he assured him. "... I am enjoying everything about you." He took Loki's hand and held it to his lips. "Everything."

Loki blinked, his eyes flickering over Thor's face, his eyes, his lips where they met with his hand. He turned his hand and brushed his fingers over Thor's short beard. How could he not believe him when he spoke like that? Ever since he'd first met him, Thor could lead him right off the end of a pier with just the sound of his voice, let alone the things he said. He was romantic but not overly so, he was strong and confident, smart, funny, considerate, generous ... dammit he really couldn't find fault with him unless of course Thor's promiscuous past was a fault.

It kind of was.

Loki just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he was _'the one'_ , as Thor had told him.

"I thought maybe you were trying to get me drunk for a reason." Loki mused.

Thor laughed and brought Loki's hand down to his lap and held it to his thigh. "Do I need to?"

"No.. but ... I am."

"You're tipsy... " Thor corrected. "...and I don't think I've seen you have more than one drink, or two glasses of wine, ever."

"Well... I guess being away from home... I'm feeling a little... reckless?" he wondered aloud.

"So... can we go back to the hotel and be reckless there?" Thor asked with a raised brow.

"Are you going to take advantage of me?" Loki flirted.

"If you let me." Thor replied lowly, pulling Loki's hand up his thigh a little higher.

 

 

In the cab on the way back to the hotel, Loki was practically in his lap. One leg thrown over Thor's, hands everywhere on his body. He was kissing him when he suddenly stopped and took pause.

"What's wrong?" Thor asked. Loki looked as if he was going to say something but was just staring at him.

"I was just wondering... um.. did you.. _bring_ anything with you?" Loki asked carefully.

"Bring anything? Like?"

"Like... things we might need from a drug store?" Loki whispered.

Like a light went off in THor's head, his raised his brows and looked out the window and back at Loki. "Oh... um..." he leaned forward so the driver could hear him, "Could we stop at a ... Boots Pharmacy?"

"Certainly sir.... " the driver replied cheerily, "There's one just up ahead... shall I wait?"

"Yes.. please, ... keep the meter going." Thor replied. "You wait here, " he told Loki as the car was pulling over, gave him a  peck on the cheek and hurried out of the car to make his purchases.

 

Loki played with his phone while he waited, trying to escape the knowing glances he figured the driver was giving him, though he wasn't. He was in fact friendly and chatted about where Loki was from, how the vacation was going in London and even suggested some places that he might like to visit while there. Thankfully, Thor returned within 5 minutes, small bag in hand. Loki was eternally grateful that Thor went inside to make the purchases alone.

"Got em'." Thor said happily and they were on their way again.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading. Please leave comments on your thoughts, suggestions, requests. I'll do my best.


	13. Is This Love?

 

By the time they got back to the hotel, to their suite, Loki was rather drunk-giddy. It made Thor laugh as he'd never seen him like this before. "You're a happy drunk." he jested, pushing him against the wall of the hallway inside their door and dipping his head a bit to kiss and nip Loki's neck. His fingers worked at the buttons on Loki's shirt and once he had it open, and pulled out from inside his trousers, he ran his hands firmly over his chest and around to his back, caressing up and down his flanks.

Loki could do little but drape his arms around Thor's neck and let himself be touched and groped, moaning languidly.

Before they got too carried away, Thor slowly pulled away, steadying Loki before letting him go, "Okay?"

"Mm-hmm...." Loki hummed, "where do you think you're going?" he asked lazily, holding Thor's lapel before letting him slip away.

 

Thor went into the kitchenette and got two bottles of water, some Ibruprofen and a Vitamiin B water. "Here..." he said handing the pills and vitamin b water to Loki, "Take these.. no hangover tomorrow." he smiled.

Loki accepted them impatiently, guzzling down the water too fast and dribbling it down his chin. He laughed and caught the fluid with his hand, but not before Thor did also.

"And a sloppy drunk, too." he joked.

Loki shoved him playfully. "Shut up..." he cooed, "I am not."

"Mmm... I like the look of that though... lips wet... dripping down your chin..." he lowered his voice and came closer, rubbing the pad of his thumb over Loki's chin.

Loki blushed and grinned. "C'mon then... " he purred, letting himself fall against Thor's body, his hand dropping down to cup Thor's crotch. "...take me... to .. bed."

 

Thor didn't need to be told twice. He took Loki's hands and lead him into the bedroom of the suite. He unfastened Loki's trousers while he kissed his lips and neck, then pulling them down over his slim hips, easily sitting him down on the edge of the bed and pulling them off after yanking his shoes off.

Loki helped by wiggling out of them, then discarding his boxers himself. The room was lit only by the light coming in from the sitting area of the  suite but it was enough to see everything well enough so he laid back propped up on his elbows and watched Thor undress. He bit his bottom lip when Thor got to his trousers. "Slow.." he ordered him softly, and Thor slowed his movements.  He got down to his boxers and remembered the bag from the druggist was in the other room.

" _Shit_.." he hissed, "hang on." He hurried and fetched the bag and was back in a few seconds. He opened the bag and dumbed it's contents on the bed. Condoms and lube. "I wasn't sure..." he began sheepishly, "if ... you want me to.... wear one." He was more than willing to, of course. It wasn't as if they'd hadn't engaged in other acts without the use of protection but he wanted to make Loki comfortable. Two weeks into their relationship, Thor volunteered to go get a routine check up and be tested. Loki did the same though it wasn't all that necessary but this way, they started with a clean slate. Thor always used protection with all his lovers but he wanted to be sure that Loki felt secure with him. 

Loki looked up at him and blinked, unsure of what to say or think. "Do you .. _want_ to?" 

Thor's shrug was almost nonexistent. Maybe they should have talked about this beforehand.

Loki sat up and slid down to the edge of the bed, put his hands on Thor's  hips and kissed the line between his thigh and hip. He looked up, "I'm ok. We had the tests. You havn't been with anyone else and neither have I, right? So … " he shrugged. "Get in here with me." he said and leaned back, arching his hips slightly to present himself to Thor.

"You're so fucking gorgeous." Thor growled and climbed onto the bed over him, taking hold of his lovers cock and stroking it gently.

Loki grinned and reached for the lube as Thor caged him in. He opened it, gasping softly when Thor touched him, squeezing out some lube onto his hand and carefully spreading the cool liquid over Thor's arousal, gaining a gasp from the larger man. "Sorry..." Loki grinned, "I'll warm you up fast."

Thor too took a generous amount of the lube and returned the favor to Loki, tugging him to full hardness before slipping his fingers below his balls and easily slipping one finger inside of him. They'd done this much before, up to two fingers, but that was hardly enough to stretch him open to take Thor's girth.

"More..." Loki breathed and arched into Thor's hand.

Thor gently urged a second finger inside while his lips locked around one of Loki's nipples and sucked, rapidly flicking his tongue over it.

"AAhhh... ffuck.... " Loki whined, bucking his hips up into Thor's hand, "Yes..." he breathed, his eyes shut but remembering every so often to open them to see Thor. He kept his hand gripped around Thor's cock but his motions staggered and didn't remain consistent with all the sensations he was receiving. "Can you... do more?" he whispered, looking down at Thor where he was now giving attention to Loki's other nipple.

Without stopping, Thor carefully added a third finger, holding his pinky back with his thumb and twisting his fingers inside. Loki reacted with a yelp and then pushed down into him. "Oh god... fuck yes... " he lifted his head and looked down at his handsome blonde who's mouth and kisses were now trailing down his belly, below his naval. "Fuck me... " he breathed, eyelashes fluttering, lips red and full from constant kissing.

Thor looked up, giving Loki's entrance some good thrusts with his fingers, up to the hilt of his knuckles. "Fuck you? Hmm? You want that, baby?" he hummed lowly.

Loki nodded and let his head fall back again with a moan, "Yes... I want you, Thor... please .. AHH!"

Thor withdrew his fingers, leaned down and gave Loki's cock a lick, then added more lube to both his own cock and Loki's entrance. He pulled a pillow down from the top of the bed and shoved it under Loki's hips when he lifted up. Positioning himself, he lined the head of his cock up with Loki's wet hole and pushed inside, slowly, short shallow thrusts, adoring the whimpers and gasps that came from Loki.

Loki wrapped his arms around Thor's neck and pulled him down to him, "Kiss me... fuck me.." he breathed. Thor obliged, speeding up his thrusts until he was fully sheathed inside of him.

Loki felt the wonderful stretch, then wrapping his legs up around THor's waist, feeling every bit of Thor's girth, his weight above him, his powerful muscles. He never felt so full, so completely surrounded with skin and muscle and warmth. He bucked his hips up using the strength of his legs to pull himself up into Thor. "Harder... fuck me.. ah god... Thor.." he whined.

Thor sped up his thrusts, trying to hold back his own moans so to better hear Loki's. "Good baby? Hm... you like that?" he asked lowly, practically whispering into Loki's neck. His hips snapped powerfully, their skin slapping against eachother's and Loki let out a particularly loud gasping moan when Thor hit that sweet spot inside of him.

"YES... fuck... " he wailed, "... more.. harder... fuck... ahhh.... AHHH..." Loki's moans and whimpers became higher in pitch the closer he got to orgasm, his legs clutching around Thor like a vice.

Thor wanted to change positions but he wasn't about to interrupt Loki's pending climax. He'd try him again later in a different position, but for now... he seemed more than happy with this one. "Come for me baby.... you want this?" he growled, reaching down between them with one hand and gripping Loki's cock, jerking it between them only a few times before Loki all but cried out and he could feel the spill between them. Thor's movements staggered a moment as he reached his peak and then pounded into Loki twice more, before filling him with his climax. "Fuck... oh my god..." he panted, slowly pulling his hand away from between them, Loki jerked at the feeling of an aftershock and clenched around Thor's cock again, earning him another grunt from Thor. "AHH." he breathed and then carefully pulled out and rolled onto his back beside Loki, both breathless.

 

 

Loki fought the urge to sleep. He managed to roll onto his side towards Thor and throw an arm around him. Thor made no such gesture of affection.

He was already snoring.

Loki woke hours later, sticky, groggy and when he moved he realized, a bit sore. It wasn't light out yet so he rolled off the side of the bed and stumbled to the bathroom, turned on the shower and quickly rinsed off, keeping his hair as dry as possible. After drying off, he wore the towel around his hips and went into the kitchenette and guzzled down an entire bottle of water. He then remembered that Thor had taken two bottles to the bed with him so he found them and put one on Thor's side of the end table in case he woke up parched as well. He deposited himself right back into the bed, tossing the towel to the floor and pulling the sheets and comforter over himself and Thor.

Thor grunted and rolled over, inhaling and then releasing the breath with a happy moan. "Smmellgood." he mumbled without opening his eyes and nuzzled his face into Loki's hair and neck. Loki hummed softly and pulled Thor's arm around him more snuggly.

 

 

 

 

Thor's alarm was just about to go off when he woke. He looked over at the clock on the bedside table and shut it off before it could go off and wake Loki. He wrapped the blanket up around him a little more and gingerly kissed his temple. He gazed with half lidded eyes at the lovely brunette from his morning commute. He'd not felt this way for this long about anyone before. He truly enjoyed Loki's company, beyond sex. That was huge to him. It wasn't that he hadn't cared for his past lovers but that's all they were and all he intended for them to be...lovers. Loki was different. He wanted to be with him. He wanted to watch movies and go for walks and swim and go on vacations with Loki. It was then that he realized that this trip to London with someone was a first for him. He'd never even considered taking anyone away with him when he traveled for business.

 

 

"Please tell me you're not watching me sleep." Loki said with a low, gravly voice, eyes still shut.

"Nope."

Loki cracked an eye open, smirked and shut it. Thor was literally right there, in his face. "You _are_."

" _No_... I'm admiring you while you pretend to be asleep. There's a difference."

Loki chuckled and hummed and stretched, melting right back, and closer to Thor. "What time is it?"

"Eightish.... I have to get up soon."

"Nnnnnooooo...." Loki whined and hugged him tighter, tossing a leg over his hip.

"I'll be back early this afternoon... we can go do something touristy." he smiled.

Loki sighed dramatically. "Mkay."

Thor carded his fingers through Loki's hair, careful not to catch any snags.

Loki sighed again. "Mmmm... just stay here and keep doing that."

"I wish I could. I promise I'll work it into the routine later though." he added softly. He paused a long moment. "Last night ... okay?"

Loki moved his head to look up at Thor and grinned. "Okay?" he asked surprised, one brow raised. Then he frowned and shrugged a bit, "Mm... it was okay I guess." he feigned disinterest then burrowed his face into Thor's chest and laughed softly, his fingers pulling and gently clawing at Thor's back.

Thor smiled and squeezed Loki's ass. "Just making sure... I mean.. if there's anything you don't like or... anything you want different... "

Loki reached up with a finger to his lips. "Everything was ...perfect." he explained. He grazed his fingers over Thor's beard for a moment before his eyes shot open wide. "Wasn't it?" he asked quickly. "Was I ... were you ..."

Thor grinned and tugged him closer. "You were perfect. Really... really perfect." he admitted.

Loki examined his eyes for a moment or any sign of falsehood, then smiled. "Okay."

Thor stayed there holding him for another few minutes before groaning and moving. "I have to go... " he said slowly, caressing Loki's body with his hands. "Stay in bed... order breakfast... " he punctuated each with a kiss, ".. I'll be back soon."

Thor showered and dressed while Loki dosed back off. He had enough time to make a pot of coffee before leaving so it would be ready when Loki decided to get up. Being here with him felt so domestic. He found himself oddly liking it.

When he was ready to leave, he tip toed around the bed to get his shoes.

"Are you leaving without kissing me?" Loki mumbled from under the blankets.

Thor smiled. "Absolutely not." He leaned over and kissed his forehead, then lips. "Just didn't want to wake you."

Loki reached up and wrapped a hand around Thor's neck and pulled him in for another kiss.

"I'll be back soon, babe... you relax... figure out what you want to do later." Thor reminded him

Loki really couldn't think of anything he wanted to do more right now than stay in bed with Thor but that wasn't going to happen. He nodded. "Okay."

Thor paused another moment and  cupped Loki's face looking at him with a soft smile. Loki opened his eyes a little wider. "What?" Loki asked with a cocked brow.

"Nothing..." Thor said softly, "... you're just.... so gorgeous."

Loki scoffed and batted Thor's hand away. "I look awful.." he insisted, covering his face with his hand making Thor laugh a bit.

"No.." Thor said, pulling Loki's hand away, "...beautiful."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	14. Three Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, self explanatory, three years later. A lot has happened. 
> 
> I'm sorry this is so late in coming. I spent about two hours writing one night and put my lap top aside to do something and a certain dog decided to mess with the keyboard - ended up freezing up my computer. I hadn't saved anything I wrote so ... it was all gone! Moral of the story is: ALWAYS save your work.

 

 

 

**_Hi Loki._ **

**_It's Thor._ **

**_I don't know if you still have_ **

**_the same phone number or not._ **

**_Is this still you?_ **

 

Loki froze when he saw who the message on his phone was from. He still had Thor's name in his contacts.

"What's wrong?" Darcy asked, seeing the alarmed expression on his face.

"Nothing." he feigned a light smile and slipped away into the backroom with his receipts. "I'll be done in a sec.. would you lock up?"

 

He sat in his back room of his bookstore and stared at the text, rereading it four times. Should he answer? Why was he messaging him now? After so long? Was he here? In New York? He grazed his fingers over the screen trying to decide what to do, what to say. This could open up a whole new world of hurt. He typed out, _Wrong number, sorry_.

Stared at it.

Deleted it.

 

_Yes, it's me._

 

Send. Too late to change it now.

He waited.

He jumped noticeably when Darcy knocked and opened the door. "Hey I'm gonna take off.... hey.. are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost."

"I'm fine... go.. I'll see you tomorrow."

She eyed him suspiciously.

"GO." he laughed, trying his best to sound and look as though the biggest heart break of his life wasn't just texting him after three years.

"Kay... see ya tomorrow..." she finally said, not the least bit convinced that he was acting anything other than weird.

 

 

**_Hi._ **

**_I was going to call or email but..._ **

**_is it okay to call you?_ **

 

Thor let out a sigh that was more frustration on his own part than relief that Loki still had the same number. He didn't know what to say but he knew he didn't want to say it in a text or email. However, should he accept, he wasn't sure he could say it after hearing Loki's voice after so long either. He probably wouldn't even accept the call anyway so...

 

_Sure._

 

Oh. Okay. Thor's finger hovered over the call button for a moment. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat.

Hit Call.

Ring.

Ring.

He took a deep breath and held it.

 

Loki's phone lit up and buzzed, he had the ringer shut off during work. He stared at picture from the contact that popped up on his screen. Thor, smiling, taken when they were at the Tower of London.

What was he doing telling him to call him? What could this possibly be about? Nothing good, he knew that much. Your ex doesn't call you up after three years and bring good things back into your life. Not that Thor ever brought anything bad into his life to begin with. In fact, it had all been wonderful. Wonderful, exciting, adventurous and .... heart pulverizing. 

 

"Hello." he finally answered on the third ring. His voice vacant and flat. How was he supposed to sound? Happy? Oh, hello person that I adored and I let slip through my fingers. SO glad to hear from you out of the blue after years of wondering 'what if'.

 

"Hello... is now a bad time?" Thor asked softly.

 

Loki could barely speak again after hearing that deep, soft voice he'd known so well. 

 

"No.. it's fine. Just closing up." he answered, trying to sound so nonchalant it came off as flippant.

 

 Thor's throat tightened up when he heard the tone he knew to be Loki's curt tone. 

 

"Oh okay.. I just thought.. because it rang a bit... that .... anyway... how are you?"

"Good. You?"

"I"m well, thank you. (Long pause).  I know it's been a long time."

"Yes... awhile."

Thor bit his lip. Loki was being short with him. He shouldn't have called. "I've meant to call, or text or... _email,_ a million times but... "

"Oh?"

"I wasn't sure that you'd want to talk to me."

Awkward silence.

"I'm sorry.. " Thor began again to cover the silence, "I'm ... I'm intruding. I didn't mean to..."

"Did you want to talk to me about something? It's okay." Loki interrupted hearing that Thor might be retreating now.

"Well.. uh, I'm coming to New York for a few days. I was hoping I could see you. Just coffee or ... dinner maybe?" Loki's voice was still as smooth and sweet as Thor had remembered. His memories of it hadn't been exaggerated at all.

 

OH. Loki's heart that was already thudding in his chest was now painfully doing so, to the point of thrumming in his ears. "When are you coming in?" he asked, his voice much higher than he'd intended for it to be in his attempt to sound casual.

"Tomorrow.  Until Monday. I leave Monday. But if you're busy for the weekend... it's  fine.."

"No, it's fine. I'm free Saturday afternoon."

"That would be perfect... um.. Can I call you tomorrow night when I'm in and we can decide where to go?"

"That's fine.. sure."

"Okay, great."

"Okay.... talk to tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow.  Have a good night."

"Yep.. you too. Bye." Loki added quickly and hung up. What had he just done? This was a bad idea. It wasn't but it was.

 

 

 

Thor texted when he got into the airport on Friday night. The phone conversation the day before had been awkward and painful so he thought it better to text Loki and make arrangements.

 They agreed to meet tomorrow afternoon at the diner two blocks from Loki's bookstore, not the café that they'd spent so many lunch breaks in and where they'd gone for their first date.

Thor arrived first, getting there twenty minutes early. He took a seat at the corner booth at the end of the diner so he had a clear view of everyone coming and going, even from outside. He ordered an iced tea, something he missed about the states. He found it rather difficult to get one in London most of the time. He placed his phone on the table in front of him, checking the time at least three times in fifteen minutes. No messages. He took that as a good sign that Loki would still come.

 

 

 

Loki left the store in Darcy's capable hands for the afternoon telling her that he had something to do. She prodded him but gave up on her quest to find out what he was leaving for when he gave her that 'look'. He walked slowly to the diner, taking his time rather than stalling, he told himself. It was a lovely June afternoon so why not take the long way? Besides, he couldn't come up with a legitimate excuse to get out of meeting Thor that he'd actually believe. Just around the corner from the diner, he checked himself in the shop window as he passed, straightened his jacket, smoothed his hair back for the umpteenth time and took a deep breath. Okay. He could do this. His heart was pounding in his chest as he approached the door. He was already five minutes late which was highly unusual for him. Maybe Thor would have left thinking he wasn't coming... but... nope. There he was, as big and gorgeous as Loki knew he would be.

 

Thor looked up from his phone when the diner door opened. He'd been about to text Loki when .... there he was. Looking as incredible as he had the last time he'd seen him, three years ago. He wasn't sure if he should stand up but opted not to. He thought that Loki might take that as him expecting a hug and he didn't want to overstep his boundaries.

"Hi..." he said softly, smiling as Loki got to the booth.

"Hi." Loki said and sat down swiftly, sliding into the booth. He averted his gaze making only the briefest eye contact.

"Thanks for coming." Thor added.

"Sorry... I'm a little late. Tied up at the store." he lied.

The waitress, seeing as there was a new person at the booth, went right over to them. "What can I getcha, hun?" she asked the new man at the table.

Loki looked up at her, grateful for the intrusion already. "Um... tea.. hot, no lemon."

"Anything to eat?" Thor asked.

"I'll leave ya menus...." the waitress said and put them down in front of each of them and walked away.

"Maybe ... a cinnamon roll or something... " Loki said, grabbing the menu and pretending to study it. He was thankful to have something to do besides look at Thor.

 Thor was hoping Loki would want to eat. He himself was starving. "I'm going to order something.. I haven't eaten yet."

"Okay." Loki said casually without looking up from the menu.

Thor on the other hand only glanced at the menu but concentrated most of his gaze on Loki. He didn't expect him to look any different after three years but Thor seemed to have forgotten how beautiful he was. Even more so than he'd remembered if that was possible.

"Well, maybe I'll have something more too, then." Loki added. He could feel Thor looking at him. He looked up from the menu for a second and made eye contact with those sky blue eyes and his heart skipped.

 

 

"Know what you want yet?" the waitress asked as she set Loki's tea down. Thor gave Loki a nod, letting him order first.

"I'll have a bowl of the tomato bisque." he answered. "That's all."

Thor grinned and shook his head. "You still eat like a bird. I'll have the Pesto Turkey panini and fries."

"Okay... you want fries or a sandwich with your soup, hun?" she asked Loki, not bothering to write the orders down.

"He'll have some of mine." Thor answered for him and smiled warmly. That's how they used to do things anyway. He was happy when Loki smiled and agreed. He'd not seen him smile so far and was proud to have been able to still make it happen.

 

After the waitress left to get their order, Loki picked up his tea cup and blew across it before sipping it.

Thor considered what he was aboout to say before he said it but took the chance and said it anyway. "You look fantastic." he murmured. It's not as if three years made much of a difference in how he would look. Thor last saw him when Loki was 29 years old, and at 32, he didn't seem to have aged even a minute. 

Loki smirked and set his tea down on the saucer. "Thank you." His shoulders dropped slightly as some of the tension left his body. "You look great, too."

More awkward silence as Loki waited to find out what Thor wanted to see him for, and Thor just tried to figure out what he wanted to say.

 

"How have you been?" Thor started with.

Loki's eyes darted and he blinked. "Good... I'm good. The store is doing really well. Darcy has all but taken over..." he explained, wanting to fill in the silence and keep the subject off of him in particular. "...she's been really great. How have you been?"

"I'm good." Thor replied, though he voice had a tinge of sadness to it. In truth, he _was_ fine. He was healthy, his job was a dream, he had a full and exciting life in London. "I'm in New York for the N.Y.C.M.A.'s, " he explained.

"The nycmas?" Loki smirked, pronouncing the abbreviations as a word. "A museum thing, I assume?"

"The New York City Museum Awards." Thor chuckled.

"Oh? Are you getting an award?" Loki asked excitedly.

"Not me... where I work is nominated in three categories... I was elected again to come receive should we win."

"Again? You've been before?" Loki asked, realizing that Thor must have been in New York before now.

"Yeah... I was here last year too. Same thing. Same categories. We won two." He knew what Loki's look was saying. That he'd been in the city before and not contacted him.

"Congratulations." Loki said a little distantly. "And good luck." He picked up his tea and sipped it again.

"Thanks." Thor was noticeably uncomfortable now that Loki's tone changed. He paused and took a long drink of his own tea. "It's like I said... I wanted to contact you before now. It was just that.... I didn't know how you'd feel about it. Or how _he'd_ feel about it." 

 _He_ referred to Alex, Loki's boyfriend though to refer to him as a boyfriend seemed strange. He was eighteen years older than Loki.

Loki didn't say anything at first. "You could have said hello." he finally said softly.

"I wish I had." Thor replied with a sad smile, still gazing at Loki.

Loki didn't deny or confirm that he was still with Alex, much to Thor's dismay. He was about to ask how Alex was, in hopes of finding out if they were indeed still together, when he saw it. Loki's hand was on the table and how had he not seen it until now?

"You're.. married?" Thor asked, unable to keep his surprise - and disappointment, hidden.

 

 

 

 

 

.


	15. It's Complicated

It was that exact moment that the waitress appeared seemingly out of nowhere and put their order on the table. "Here ya go... can I get you anything else right now? More iced tea, hun?"

Thor didn't answer, he hadn't even heard her.

"Yes.. that would be great, thank you." Loki answered for him. It woke Thor out of his stupor and he nodded, "Oh.. sorry. Yes, please."

Loki waited til she poured him another glass of iced tea and left before he answered.

"No.. not exactly."

"Not... _exactly_?" Thor raised both brows.

Loki put his spoon down and took the ring off and jammed it into his pocket while Thor looked on, mouth slightly agape.

"It's ... it's complicated. But no... I'm not married. " He didn't know how to explain this right now nor did he want to try. He took a mouthful of soup and swallowed it. Thor hadn't started his meal yet. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Thor seemed to just now realize there was food in front of him and snapped out of his daze. "Yes." he said absently and picked up his sandwich and took a bite. The food served two purposes. Hunger was one but it definitely filled in the awkward moments when they didn't know what to say to eachother, especially after Loki's mysterious situation.

 

 

After they'd eaten a substantial portion of their meals, Loki finally had to ask. "So... why now?" he looked up from soup and held his spoon over the bowl. "Why after all this time did you contact me?"

Thor knew it was coming, or he at least knew he'd have to fess up as to why he reached out now as opposed to sooner. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and sat back in his seat a bit.  
"In all honesty, ... I've missed you." he said softly, with a small huff. "I moved on... I tried, after I moved to London but...hardly a day goes by that I don't think of you."

Loki was speechless. He wasn't sure how to react to that very honest and blunt answer. Of course he'd missed Thor and regretted not trying, not fighting for him, to have not stayed with him, but he tried to move on and convince himself that he was happy. Alex had  been good to him even if he hadn't been the most loving person, or honest person, or considerate person... okay, so maybe he wasn't that good to him but Loki made his choice, didn't he? 

Thor paused letting Loki soak that much up. He took a long drink of his iced tea, not taking his eyes off of Loki's visage for a second.

Loki put his spoon down, reached over and took one last french-fry from Thor's plate and chewed it slowly for an excuse to not say anything until he could process this.

 

"I've missed you, too." he finally admitted.

Thor waited a moment before he said anything.  "Did you ever think to contact me?"

Loki huffed. Had he? Yes. Most definitely. He'd written out long detailed emails and about how he'd made a mistake and he would never feel for anyone how he felt about Thor. Certainly not Alex.

"I... _did_ think about it." he admitted quietly.

 

The waitress made her way over to the table as the two men sat motionless looking at one another. "Everything okay? Getcha anything else boys?"

Loki honestly didn't want to leave yet. He didn't want Thor to leave. If he could stay here in this diner for the next hundred years and look across the table at Thor, he'd be fine with that. More than fine.

Thor glanced up at her and back at Loki. "I could use some pudding... how about you?" he smiled warmly, knowing Loki's favorite dessert.

Loki nodded slightly and smiled. "Sure... that sounds good."

 

"We have tapioca, rice and chocolate." the waitress announced.

"One of each?" Thor replied with one raised brow. "We'll share."

"Oh.. _will_ we?" Loki chuckled, "You're sure you will?"

Thor laughed and assured him he would. "I promise." he nodded with a slow blink of his eyes.

 

After she left to get three puddings, Loki's smile refused to fade from his face, remembering how it used to be with Thor. So natural. So easy to be with him. He'd forgotten about that til now.

"So.. you were saying?" Thor reminded him softly. "You never messaged me .. _why again_?" he smirked.

Loki's smiled faded some and he looked out the window. "I .... I dont' know. I couldn't find the words to explain myself properly."

Thor chuckled softly. " _You_? You couldn't find the words?" he eyes narrowed. "That excuse might work for me... but _not_ you." he added in a low, warm tone meant to be complimentary. Loki rarely was at a loss for words. Always well versed and with a sharp and eager wit.

Loki smiled again and shrugged slightly looking back to Thor. "I wrote but ... it all sounded so ... shallow. I never sent them, I couldn't. I thought .... I thought maybe someday I could explain to you in person... but ... time went by so fast and before I knew it,... it had been a year, two years... I figured you'd moved on and forgotten me. I'm sure you've had no shortage of suitors."

Thor shook his head. "I won't lie. I've dated.. of course but... no one compared. I guess that was my mistake... comparing them to you as if they could hold a candle to you."

Loki huffed. "Stop it... "

"No,.. I'm serious." he said firmly, still faintly smiling and looking right into Loki's eyes.

There was a long pause as they waitresse's shoes clicked down the tiles toward their table. She set each bowl of pudding down then gave each of them a long handled spoon. "Enjoy guys." she smiled and walked away again.

 

Loki was first to dig into the chocolate one, Thor taking the rice. They each hummed their appreciation of them then both switched to the tapioca.

"Favorite?" Thor asked, gesturing to the tapioca with his spoon.

"Mm... I think the chocolate." Loki answered.

They enjoyed their desserts in silence, Thor watching Loki as much as would be comfortable and unrecognized as staring. He really couldn't get over how lovely he was and that he was actually sitting here with him now, after so long.

 

 

"Are you going to tell me about that ring in your pocket?" he finally asked as he finished off the rice pudding.

Loki put his spoon down and sucked in a breath. "Okay." he sighed. "It's ... complicated."

"I'm ready." Thor affirmed, relieved that Loki wasn't married in the traditional sense but incredibly curious as to what that ring was all about.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your continued interest in my little story. Hope you come back for more. I love you comments, suggestions and corrections. (Sorry for my typos, I try to get them all, I fail at times)


	16. Insecurities and Old Habits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumping back to where we left off in London, Loki gets some news he wasn't expecting from someone he wasn't expecting.

 

After Thor left for his meetings at the museum, Loki pulled the duvet back over his head and dozed off for another hour. London could wait until he had some more sleep. Thor had definitely worn him out last night, - not that he was complaining. He woke to the sound of his phone's text alert going off. He stretched and moaned softly at the soreness in his body, then smiled to himself remembering what that soreness was caused by.

His text alert rang again. It must be Thor, he decided. Maybe he was getting out of the meeting early. He groaned as he stretched to reach the phone on Thor's side of the bed's nightstand, flopped back into the pillow and opened his texts, his stomach dropping when he saw that it wasn't from Thor.

 

**_Hey baby. I've been thinking about you a lot._ **

**_I'd like to get together. Give me a call._ **

**_I miss you, Magpie. xx_ **

 

Loki froze, looking at the words on the screen as if they would disappear if he blinked. His heart pounded.

Why? Why would Alex contact him now? After all this time? It had been three years since he broke things off with Loki under the premise that he was going to get back together with his wife. It took Loki an entire year to get over him. Or... _was_ he over him?

He had Thor now, right? He was with _Thor..._ in _London_. Thor who he'd now been dating seriously for over two months. Thor who treated him like a prince, who took his time with him and didn't demand anything from him. Thor who was kind and generous with him without asking for anything in return.

Fuck Alex. Who the fuck did he think he was contacting Loki now? Now, when he was finally over him and moving on and... happy.

Fuck him.

 

 

 

Loki got up and took a long shower and stewed over how angry he was that Alex would contact him. He wouldn't return the message of course, it would be ridiculous. He was on holiday with his boyfriend... his gorgeous, kind, sweet and incredibly hot boyfriend. Even when he would get back to New York he wouldn't return his message because what point would there be? He was happy now. It wasn't as though he had to prove a point or tell Alex off or anything.

By the time he got out of the shower, he was so angry he decided to just send a quick message back to tell Alex just how inappropriate it was that he contact him and to just leave him alone because that was the proper thing to do, right? If he didn't put Alex in his place now, he might keep messaging him... maybe even call him, while he was on holiday. What if it happened when Thor was here? That could be disastrous.

He sat on the bed with a towel wrapped around his hips trying to think of what to say.

 

_Hello to you too._

_Last I checked, my name was Loki, not baby or magpie._

 

 

He tossed the phone on the bed and started getting dressed. He didn't even have his shirt on by the time a new text came through.

 

**_Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you._ **

**_Does this mean you won't have dinner with me Saturday?_ **

 

Loki scoffed and punched the keys hard as he texted back.

 

_I'm afraid not as I'm nowhere near New York._

 

**_You moved???_ **

 

_NO. I'm on holiday._

 

_**Anywhere as exciting as Punta Cana? ;)** _

 

How dare he bring up Punta Cana.

 

_Yes, as a matter of fact. London._

 

_**When you get back... dinner?** _

 

Loki rolled his eyes. The nerve! He can't even assume that Loki is on holiday with someone... involved with someone? He didn't text back right away. Just saying NO didn't seem to be an option and he hated that it wasn't that simple.

 

_**Sweetie? Please? Just a nice dinner?** _

_**Opps.. sorry... Loki, please? Just a nice dinner? :)** _

 

Loki sighed. Why was he even considering this? He just needed to say no. He could just text him.. "NO" and be done then tell Thor about it and have a good laugh over dinner tonight.

 

**_How's the store doing?_ **

****

Well that was just the end of it. Bringing up the bookstore that he'd gotten started for Loki was just insulting. A classic Alex manipulative move.

 

_It's fine. Is that what this is about?_

_I think the year I spent with you after you_

_buying the shop for me was thank you enough_.

 

Alex had not only bought the shop for him but had it completely stocked. His first year open, unlike most new businesses, he made a profit because he had no real true overhead to pay for. Alex purchased the building outright and put it in Loki's name as a "sorry gift" for cheating on him, breaking up with him, taking him back and cheating on him again. Loki stayed because ... well, he thought he loved Alex. In truth, he was addicted to the manipulation and drama.  Loki was insecure, that much he knew, but Alex did nothing to help that and in fact used it to his advantage.

 

_**No. It's not about that.** _

_**I just want to talk.** _

_**I feel awful for things I did to you.** _

 

Oh? Really? Had he had an epiphany or something? Loki highly doubted it. However, Loki was open to apologies if Alex was willing to give them.

 

_What about Margo?_

 

**_I left Margo. I was stupid to think that would work out._ **

_**I made a mistake in letting you go, baby.** _

 

_Well, too little too late I guess._

_I'm with someone and quite happy, thank you._

 

**_I heard._ **

 

Loki's brows knit together instantly in reading that. What does he mean he'd 'heard'? Had he been by the store and talked to Darcy? Had he been following him? He'd been very careful this past year to remove himself from almost all social media. The only thing he kept was a facebook page and an Instagram page solely for the bookstore. Nothing personal.

He knew he was being baited into a conversation he probably didn't want to have but...

 

_What's that supposed to mean?_

 

_**Thor Odinson, right? I've heard you're seeing him.** _

_**I thought you didn't like unfaithful types.** _

_**You thought I was bad? I only cheated on you with one** _

_**person. He has quite the reputation for not being able** _

_**to keep his trousers shut.** _

 

 

Loki froze as his blood went cold throughout his body. Firstly, how did Alex _know_ Thor let alone know that he was dating him? Secondly, it was just exactly like him to zero in on Loki's biggest insecurities. He still knew him too well and that rattled Loki like nothing else... nothing else except maybe Thor being unfaithful to him. If Alex knew so much, did he know more? Had Thor been with anyone else since he'd met Loki?

Loki's mind raced. It was ridiculous. He'd spent a lot of time with Thor in the past couple of months. The only time they'd really been apart was during Thor's traveling to Chicago and a  brief overnight in Los Angeles. Even on those nights, they talked on the phone or Skyped. Loki stared at his phone, at the words Alex had just typed. He had to know what more he knew if anything at all.

 

_How do you know Thor?_

 

**_Baby, you know I'm on the board of many things in the city._ **

**_The museum is one of them. I've known Thor for some time._ **

**_I admit I was surprised to hear you were with him. Does that_ **

**_make you his New York boy toy? He has one or two or three_**

**_in every city_ ** _**he travels to. Did he take you to London for business** _

_**or pleasure?** _

_**A threeway maybe? ;)** _

 

Loki's heart was pounding and his breathing picked up.

 

**_Don't tell me you're actually serious about him, sweetie. :(_ **

**_He's gorgeous and charming. I get it. Probably tells you what_ **

**_you want to hear. Just be careful babe._ **

 

Alex had a lot of fucking nerve telling Loki to be careful with his heart. Of all people.

 

 

_I don't need to be careful._

_He's with me and only me._

 

**_If that's what he's told you,_ **

_**I guess you need to believe him.** _

 

_We're happy. Thanks for your concern._

 

Loki wasn't sure if he was more angry or scared at that point. He was shaking either way. He threw the phone down and finished getting dressed. He was fixing his hair when the text alert sounded again.

 

**Hi baby. I'm out of my meeting!**

**I'm on way back to the hotel to**

**pick you up. Think of anything you'd like**

**to do this afternoon?** ;) xxx

 

Loki breathed a sigh of relief that it was Thor. What to do this afternoon? He hadn't even thought about it, obviously.

 

_I'll leave it up to you._

_You know the city better than me._

 

He considered deleting all of Alex's texts but found it really wasn't necessary. Thor wasn't the type to go through his phone. He did however turn off his sound just in case he got any more unwanted texts while he was with Thor.

 

 

 

 

"Look at you... all... _dressed_ and everything." Thor grinned as he came up behind Loki in the bedroom of their suite and wrapped his arms around him. He kissed his neck and hummed softly at the scent of his hair and skin. "I was sort of hoping to find you still in bed... like I left you." he added suggestively.

Loki smiled softly and turned his head to catch Thor's lips with his own. "Mm.. I'm a little hungry actually. Can we get something to eat somewhere?"

"Of course." Thor replied easily, pulling away. "Why didn't you order room service?"

"Oh.. I only just got up and then took a shower... didn't have time really." Loki answered, trying to sound like it was the complete and total truth.

"We'll go to that pub on the corner... they have great fish and chips." Thor suggested.

"Okay." Loki agreed, "You've been there before I take it?"

"Plenty of times. This is where I always stay when I'm in London. I eat there at least once a day when I'm here." he chuckled. "There's someone there I want you to meet anyway." he added as he changed his shirt for a more casual pullover.

"Oh? " Loki raised a brow, watching as his gorgeously toned, muscled boyfriend shed his shirt for another one. "You must make lots of friends when you travel to the same cities all the time."

Thor smiled and nodded, "Yeah... some."

Alex's words were nagging at Loki's mind. Of course Thor must keep company when he comes to London.. and everywhere else he'd been. It's not as though Thor hadn't been honest with him about his past, but just how honest he wasn't sure. For all he'd already told him, what hadn't he told him?

 

 

The pub was delightful. Not touristy but not a small and local place either. It was clean and nicely lit and Thor was right, the food was amazing. They each ordered a pint and orders of fish and chips. Thor noticed Loki seemed a little off but not so much so that it was really troubling him. Perhaps he was just tired or jetlagged.

"If you're too tired we could just go back to the hotel after we eat." he suggested.

"No.. I want to do something. I'm okay." Loki replied easily.

Just then, a young blonde man came over to their table, grinning from ear to ear. "THOR!" he exclaimed, wiping his hands on his apron before taking Thor's hand and pulling him into a manly hug, slapping his back.

"Nigel!" Thor returned the stranger's exuberance.

Loki looked the man over in a quick glance before being introduced. He was tall, handsome, really handsome, and seemed to be very close with Thor.

"This is my friend, Loki... Loki this is Nigel... he's the cook here. I've known him since I started coming here!" he turned back to the man with a bright, happy expression.

Loki couldn't help but notice Thor said 'friend'... not boyfriend. Not even 'very good' friend. Just... 'friend.'

"When did you get to London... you been hiding out on me?" Nigel asked.

"No.. .no.. we just got in yesterday. This is actually my first visit to the pub... I told Loki you have the best food in the city." he grinned, placing his hand on the small of Nigel's back for a moment. Well, wasn't that intimate, Loki thought.

"Nice to meet you." Loki said softly and quickly filled his mouth with ale.

"Good to meet you too." Then turned back to Thor, "So what's up? Let's get together before you leave.... you here long?"

Thor looked to Loki, "About a week... we'll have plenty of time to get together if you're not slaving over a hot oven back there." he joked. "It's Loki's first time so... we need to show him a good time, yeah?"

"Absolutely!" he smiled and Loki couldn't help but notice the up and down look Nigel gave him. It looked ... predatory? "Hey.. I have to get back there.. call me." he pointed to Thor.

"Sure thing." Thor replied, pointing back at him.

 

After their guest left, Thor's smile hadn't. "He's great... you'll really like him."

Loki nodded slightly. "Seems nice." was all he got out and it sounded curt though he hadn't meant for it to. Was Nigel the threesome that Thor had brought Loki here for? Damn Alex for putting these ridiculous thoughts in his head.  Now everything, _everyone_ seemed suspicious.

 

 

"Is anything wrong, love?" Thor asked, putting his hand on Loki's on the table. Loki snapped out of it. How long had he been sitting here silent for Thor to notice something? He looked across the table at him and Thor looked serious all of a sudden.

"No.. nothing. I'm fine. Just a little jetlagged I guess." he chuckled, "Zoning out a bit."

Thor pursed his lips and nodded. "Okay.. are you sure you don't want to go back to the room and rest?"

"I'm sure." Loki replied picking up another chip and popping it into his mouth. "I want to see London with you."

 

 

The rest of the day was spent sightseeing. Thor took him to see Big Ben,  they rode on the Eye, then took a boat ride to the Tower of London and toured that.  They had a quick dinner at a modest restaurant full of tourists, then took a cab back to the hotel. Loki managed to forget for the most part all about the texts from Alex in lieu of having a great time with Thor. Every so often, it nagged at him that he only referred to him as his friend when he was introduced to Nigel but they still had a great time. Thor insisted on taking lots of pictures of Loki at each site they visited which Loki took as a good sign. They even had one nice American lady offer to take their picture together, which they took her up on the offer.

 

Loki stripped down to just his boxers and laid on the bed going through the pictures on his phone while Thor undressed and freshened up in the bathroom.

"I sent a bunch of the pictures to your phone... I love this one." he said holding the phone up showing Thor one that the American lady took of them outside the Tower of London.

"Ohh.. that's a good one... " Thor smiled, then flopped down on the bed beside him. "... look at you.. so gorgeous." he said softly still gazing at the picture. "We look good together, yeah?"

Loki smiled and took the phone back. "You think so?"

"I know so." Thor replied and leaned in and kissed Loki's cheek, then neck. He laid down on his back and yawned, the day finally catching up with him.

"Thanks for today... it was fun." Loki said, laying on his back , holding the phone over him to scroll through the pictures.

"Thanks for being with me... you made London fun for me again."

Loki snuggled a little closer to him but remained silent, finally putting his phone down. Thor rolled to his side so that he could face Loki's profile and put his arm around him, his palm around his hip gently brushing his thumb against his hip bone. His eyes were shut but he was still completely awake. Loki stared up at the ceiling for awhile, unsure of what he wanted to say, if anything at all.

"What's wrong, baby?" Thor asked in nearly a whisper. He knew Loki's insecurities all too well already and could tell that the wheels were turning in his head.

 

Loki glanced over at him then sighed. "Today.. at the pub. You introduced me to Nigel as ... your friend."

Ahh... so that's what this was about. Thor squeezed Loki's hip.

"I'm sorry..." he said before Loki could say another word. "I honestly wasn't sure how you wanted me to introduce you. I thought that was safest. What would you prefer me to say?" he asked with concern. "Boyfriend? Partner? Lover?" he grinned, but he was sincere in his suggestions.

Loki looked at him again and nodded. "Am I?"

"Yes... you are." he pulled him closer. "You're everything."

That was exactly what Loki needed to hear tonight. He smiled and nuzzled closer.

"From now on... it's "I'd like you to meet Loki... my everything." he joked lightly.

Loki nudged him with an elbow. "Just... boyfriend would be nice."

"Anything you want, sweetness." Thor replied in a low soft tone and kissed Loki's shoulder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	17. Interferences

 

 

_Umm.. I hate to interrupt your international love fest_

_but some guy named Alex stopped into today asking_

_about you and the store and being all stalkery-weird._

_He said you know him? He was really checking out_

_the store like in a freaky way._

 

 

It was the fourth day of their trip and other than those few texts from Alex, things were going extremely well.

Until now.

Darcy's text came during their dinner so it wasn't even closing time back home. Loki was incensed. It showed.

 

"Everything okay?" Thor asked between bites.

 

"I'm sorry." Loki began. He wouldn't normally look at his phone during meals, especially with Thor, but after the unnerving messages the other day from Alex, he was on high alert. "It's a text from Darcy. She just needs to know something... um.. " he pulled his napkin from his lap and set it on the table, ".. it's kind of important... would you mind if I message her back?"

"Of course not." Thor assured him. He knew Loki's business was as important to him as Thor's was and though he loved having Loki here with him, he realized he pulled him away rather quickly from work, leaving Darcy with a lot on her shoulders.

 

Loki thanked him and excused himself from the table and went into the foyer of the five star restaurant they where they dined twice so far.  Instead of texting, he called her.

 

"Good afternoon, Selvstar Books..."

"It's me... what did he say?" Loki interrupted urgently.

"Heeyy... hi.. how's London? How's beefcake?"

"Darcy!" Loki hissed.

"Oh.. okay. He just came in and was like looking around all snooty so I asked him if I could help him find something and he was like, 'How's business?' and I thought he was just being conversational, y'know how some people are? So I said it was good and asked him if he was new to the area and he looked at me and laughed like all dry and stuff and said, 'Oh no, dear... hardly.' "

 

Loki's brows were knit tight together as he paced back and forth, finally ducking into the men's room for some privacy.

 

"He was just acting all pompous and stuff. Asked me how long I'd been working there.... what the hours are that we're open, stuff like that, then he said,  'Does Loki usually close up or is that your job?' and I was like, ohhh... he _knows_ you. How do you know him?"

"Nevermind that... what else did he say? What did you tell him?"

"Um, I said that you usually closed up but that you were away for a few days... was that okay? I mean, I didn't tell him where or anything."

"Yes. That's fine. So then he left?"

"Yeah.. didn't buy anything either."

 

That's because he all but owned every book in that store. He could have very well just pulled the lease on it and closed Loki down right then and there.

 

"Okay... text me if he comes back."

"Who is he?"

"No one.. just ... let me know if he shows up. I have to get back."

"Hey.. How's Thor....." but that was all Darcy got out before Loki hung up on her.

He straightened his jacket in the mirror, checked his hair and composed himself hoping that Thor wouldn't see the terror in his face.

 

"Sorry... " he gushed as he sat back down at the table.

"Okay? Darcy okay?" Thor asked with concern.

"Yeah.. everything's fine. She flighty, yknow." he brushed it off with a breathy laugh and began eating again though he had little appetite for it.

What the fuck was Alex up to? Why was he nosing around like this now? He'd given Loki that store free and clear, that's what he said. He still owned the building but Loki didn't have to pay rent and though Alex's name was still on the paperwork, Loki owned fifty one percent of it. Alex did that so that Loki would always have control of his business. His final gift to him, albeit a guilt gift.

 

 

The remainder of their night was peaceful, having finished their dinners, desserts and moved to the bar that was equally as five star as the restaurant was. To Thor's amusement, Loki once again drank more than he usually did back home, however this time little did he know it was not from wanting to kick back and relax but more so to deal with his impending doom of Alex suddenly making himself known again. They were well into their second drinks when Thor received a text from Nigel, asking him if he'd like to get together.

"Ah... it's Nigel." Thor exclaimed and smiled a little too brightly for Loki's liking. "He wants to get together soon... should I invite him over? He just got off work."

Loki, bless him, tried to act casual but his stomach was doing flips. "You mean.. _here_ or... back at the hotel?"

"Either." Thor shrugged. "I thought here but inviting him up to the suite is a better idea."

What Alex had mentioned to Loki suddenly was at the forefront of his mind. A threesome. Was Nigel just a friend or had he been with Thor? Then there was also that look that Nigel gave him the day he met him.

 

"Um.. which ever is good for you." he murmured and took a long drink.

Thor texted him back as Loki watched his facial expressions, looking for some evidence of ... he wasn't sure... _something_.

 

"Thor?" he said and fiddled with a cocktail napkin on the table.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Thor asked, putting his phone back down on the table and gazing into Loki's tipsy eyes with a slight smile on his lips. He couldn't help it when he looked at Loki sometimes to just smile.

 

"Is Nigel...... did you ever... I mean, you and he ever... were you ever together?" he finally got out the words.

"Nigel?" Thor's mouth quirked in a funny expression. "No... not Nigel. We're just friends. I met him at the pub a few years back. That's it." he answered simply but then seemed a little concerned by Loki's concern on the matter.

"Okay. Good." Loki sighed with relief.

Thor reached over and took Loki's hand. "I'm only with you." he tried to reassure him again. "There's no one else, Loki." They'd been through this several times already and still it seemed difficult to quell Loki's insecurity about it.

"I know..." Loki answered quickly, "it's just... I don't know. I don't know if I'd like meeting people that .... you've ... _been_ with."

"You haven't. " Thor affirmed. "...and I wouldn't do something like that purposely but.... eventually, we might bump into someone... I don't want you to feel at all slighted by it or .... hurt. I'm with you now."

Loki just nodded and looked down into his glass. "Alright."

 

Thor's text alert sounded and as it turned out, Nigel couldn't make it tonight. A relief to Loki nonetheless. Thor promised to make some plans before they left in a few days, even if it was just a quick drink somewhere.

 

 

Their night ended with tipsy, slow, lazy lovemaking for which Loki was grateful after the night before, still a bit on the achy side. Thor laid on his side facing Loki with Loki eventually curling up into him, rolling over for Thor to spoon him. He pulled Thor's hand up under his chin and held it there, Thor's face slightly buried in Loki's hair, and that's how they fell asleep.

 

 

Thor had a free day from the museum and fully intended to spend every minute of it with Loki. There were still many sights to see and he'd gotten tickets to a play in London's West End. He was glad it was a comedy of sorts since it seemed Loki woke in a not so cheerful mood. His mood became increasingly sour throughout the morning. By lunch time, they had done some shopping and were walking through Queen Victoria park. They bought some fish and chips and ate them on a bench near the pond, watching the swans swim back and forth to visiting tourists insistent on feeding them.

"You seem a little distant." Thor finally said. "Is everything okay?" he asked, voice low and soft, concern writ all over his face.

Loki sniffed and shrugged. "Yes... everything is okay." he lied.

"You know... if there is anything wrong... you can talk to me, right? Anything at all."

Loki wanted to cry. He wanted to tell Thor everything. About Alex, about their past, about the texts... everything. There was something about Thor that made Loki feel protected and at the same time, in danger of being hurt. Not physically of course, but emotionally. He'd already addressed his concerns with Thor, several times, and frankly, he was afraid he'd scare him off if he kept up this constant needy reaffirmation of their relationship. Everything Alex had told him was burdening him, on top of what Thor had already told him early on. How was Loki to keep this man's interest for much longer? He was used to many lovers, exciting people, that were probably much better in bed than he was. Thor hadn't complained of course, not that Thor would even if he wasn't satisfied. Loki was sure he'd just not mention anything because he was just too kind to do such a thing. No... No, he'd just leave him. That's what Loki was convinced himself of,  that at any moment, any day now, Thor would give him 'the talk'. The break-up talk.

"Everything is great." he said softly. "I'm just so ... overwhelmed that you brought me to London. I ... I don't know how to repay you or ... make it up to you."

Thor scoffed. "Are you kidding me? Loki..." he turned to face him a little more, "You have nothing to repay me for.. and you're more than making it up to me by _being_ with me."

He took Loki's chin between his fingers and brushed his thumb affectionately along his lips. He'd held back for the last several days... weeks even, about his feelings. He hadn't wanted to scare Loki off with saying anything too much, too soon, but he was getting aggravated with holding back.

"I love you." he said simply. "I love being with you, I love everything about you. I don't want you to get scared by that but .... it's how I feel."

 

 

Loki's heart raced. He blinked. Thor's eyes were fixed on his.

 

"I love you, Loki." Thor repeated.

 

"I love you, too." he breathed.

 

 

 

 


	18. How Very Unfair

 

 

If Alex was looking to make an impact, if he was looking for Loki's attention, he most definitely had done it. Loki told himself to just ignore it. He certainly wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a reply. No way. Nope. He was looking to get a rise out of Loki. Trying to intimidate and manipulate. How _very_ Alex. Loki couldn't believe the audacity of the man. What had he ever seen in him? There was no way he'd dignify this nonsense with any reply or correspondence.

 

He and Thor returned to the suite around midnight, both tipsy though Loki perhaps a little more so. Thor, frisky as ever, pinned him down to the bed and methodically began undressing him.

"Let me help." Loki grinned, plucking away at the buttons of Thor's shirt. Within a few minutes, and through several kisses, they were both bare and writhing against one another. Tonight's lovemaking was more than before. They'd said it. The L word. They'd both said it and now all this heat, this touching, kissing, groping, fucking... felt so much ... closer.

 

Loki woke around 3:00 am though he'd hardly slept after Thor had dozed off around 1:30. They'd shared two orgasms each which should be more than enough to put any man to sleep, but Loki just dozed. Aggravated, irritated that an insufferable man back in the states could still hold so much power over him.

He quietly slipped out of the bed, fished his phone out of his pocket from his jacket thrown over a chair and padded to the bathroom, shutting the door. He closed the lid of the toilet and sat down and opened his text messages. He read the last ones from Alex which angered him all the more.

 

 

_What was the purpose, exactly, of_

_going to my shop and bullying my_

_employee?_

 

He'd barely had time to pour himself a drink from the sink when his text was returned.

 

_**I'd hardly call it bullying, darling.** _

_**Just wanted to see how well you** _

_**were keeping the place up. I wasn't** _

_**disappointed.** _

 

Loki huffed. As if. As if he couldn't take perfectly wonderful care of his own business.

 

_**It's awfully late there, love.** _

_**Or should I say early?** _

_**Has he fucked his worth of you** _

_**and sleeping like a baby? Or is** _

_**it someone elses turn and you're** _

_**on break? Odd that you chose now** _

_**to text your old love.** _

 

Loki might had audibly growled. He wasn't sure. The very nerve of...

 

_Like I said before, there is no one else._

_You're well aware of my insomnia._

 

_**Still though....** _

_**you thought to text me. I'm flattered.** _

 

_Please stay away from my shop._

_If you have reason to meet with me_

_when I return, I will make time to meet_

_with you at the store._

 

**_It's a date, love._ **

 

Loki shut his phone off angrily and took three deep breaths before he was able to return to the bedroom and gingerly crawl back into bed. He wasn't sure but he thought he might actually be shaking. Though Thor was asleep, he instinctively put an arm around him and snuggled him which Loki welcomed like a scared child, tucking his head below Thor's chin and breathing in his scent to calm himself. Thor loved him. He said so. He wouldn't say so if he didn't.

He finally was able to doze off again now that he was in Thor's warm embrace, not waking til the sun was up and Thor was carefully slipping away from him. Loki clutched at his arm. "Where are you going?" he asked softly in a sleep rough voice.

"I have to go to the museum... remember?" he grinned, letting himself be pulled back into the bed. "I'll be back after lunch. Two meetings and then a lunch with the director. Okay?" He nuzzled Loki's hair and kissed his temple. "Let's get massages today." he suggested. "Book us with the concierge for a couples massage." He'd noticed how tense Loki had been since getting news from Darcy, even after a few drinks.

Loki nodded. "Okay." he agreed softly.  

 

 

 


	19. Four Years Earlier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so flashback to when Loki was with... you guessed it... Alex the Narcissist. Give Lokes a break. He's young, insecure, (even more than he currently is with Thor), and thinks he's in love. Alex did some real damage to him but a good deal of Loki's insecurities are from his childhood. People like Alex just seem to sniff out people like that and take advantage.  
> PS. forgive me if my time lines are a little off. It's hard to keep track but I hope it flows. Also, sorry for the huge lack of Thor in this chapter. I'll make it up to you later. ;)

 

 

"So... what do you think? Like it, baby?"

Alex opens the door to the empty shop that was once a drug store in business since the 1950's. It's charm is in that it hasn't been updated much over the years. It still retains it's wooden shelving, intricate aluminum ceiling and beautiful carved oak counter top. The lighting is dim but there's a wonderful shop front window. It looks warm and cozy and would make a perfect little book store.

"Oh... my ... god... it's perfect. I love it!!" Loki gushes and hugs Alex tight around the waist. Something the older man not only expects, but relishes about his young lover, ..his affection when he's awarded gifts.

"Happy birthday, baby. A little fix up here and there... clean it, refinish the counter maybe... put in some new lighting and probably some more center display shelves and we can start stocking it." the man explained as he gestured around with his hand.  "Any ideas on what you want to call it?"

Loki did indeed. He'd dreamed of having his own book store since high school. "Selvstar Books." he replied confidently.

Alex made a little frown as if he was thinking it over. "Okay... I guess that's good. If that's what you want it to be, baby... that's okay with me."

 

Alex had just purchased the entire four story building. Offices upstairs with the book store on first. It was not only a birthday present for his lover, a twenty five year old he'd been dating for just over two years, but also a way of keeping him busy. Alex was a busy man, a business man with a soon to be ex-wife and two teenage brats that were about to go into college. Loki was his pleasure. His recreation. Keeping him busy with a little business to run, which in truth was just a novelty to him, would prove to keep Loki happy and most of all, indebted to him.

 

"It's really mine? I can do whatever I want?" Loki asked as he flitted around the shop excitedly, imagining all he could do with the space.

"Well... within reason, babe. We'll get a team in here to start cleaning it up."

"No!" Loki exclaimed. "I want to do it! I'll save you money.. I'll do all the cleaning myself."

Alex frowned and took Loki's hands. " _What_? And chafe those pretty hands? Don't be silly, baby. You're not used to labor like that.  That's what cleaning people are for. Besides, I like your hands staying nice and soft for a reason." he smiled and winked.

Loki giggled. "I'll wear gloves. I'll put lotion on every day. I _swear_ it."

"Oh you will, will you?" Alex chuckled and wrapped a hand around Loki's hip and squeezed his ass. "I like the idea of lotion on your hands...."

Loki gave him a playful shove and laughed. "Stop it... you know what I mean." He looked up at Alex imploringly. " _Please_? I want to do this. I want to make it feel.. I don't know... _real_. Like it's really mine."

"Okay... okay..." Alex patted his ass. "we'll see. Come on.. I only have an hour before I have to get back. Let's go see the backroom." he grinned, giving Loki a suggestive tone.

"Thank you so much.... this is the best thing... the best present I've ever been given." Loki gushed as he was lead back to the room behind the counter.

"Of course it is, baby. Let's see how grateful you really are, huh?"

 

Loki grinned and wrapped his arms around Alex's neck and kissed him. Alex kissed back for a moment but soon pulled away.

C'mon baby... I told you.. I don't have much time. Enough of this... get on with it.. make daddy happy." he murmured as he pushed Loki down by the hips.

Loki dropped to his knees and gazed up at him as he unfastened the other man's belt and trousers. "I _do_ make you happy, don't I?" Loki purred.

"Mmm... you sure do baby.... so pretty down there." Alex wrapped his hand around the back of Loki's head and urged him forward.

Loki licked and sucked at the head of his cock before taking him all in. Alex wasn't huge even when he was fully hard and Loki had learned to take  him all down his throat, except when the man got a little too eager and fucked into his mouth a little too hard, making Loki choke.

"Sorry ... let me do it..." Loki insisted, "you pushed too hard."

"Hurry baby.. come on... I need to come. I'm gonna come all over that pretty face." Alex growled.

Loki shook his head. "No.. not here... I don't have anywhere to clean up...."

"Alright well then just swallow it.... you can owe me later. AHHhh... that's it baby.... so good.. Ah Loki... ahh... you love daddy? Hm?"

Loki nodded his head as best he couldn and hummed an affirmative. The vibration set Alex off and he grabbed Loki's hair , holding him  in place and came in his mouth. He let go of his hair as Loki tried to pull off and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. Alex tucked himself back into his trousers and leaned back on the desk that was behind him. Loki stood up slowly and leaned in for more kisses.

"Ack... c'mon baby... not now. I just came in your mouth... " he rejected the kiss and turned his head. "Besides... I have to get going." He straightened his shirt and jacket and stood up again, pulling Loki close again when he noticed the pout. "Now baby... what's that face about. I'll see you again soon. How about I come over tomorrow night, hm? Would you like that?"

"Yes... it's just that.... I hardly get much time with you anymore...."

Alex put his finger to Loki's lips to shush him. "Ah ah... you know I'm busy.... it's all I can do to get away sometimes and don't I always make time for my baby? Hm? Did I just give my baby a book store?"

Loki's eyes lit up again. "Yes... I know... but.. I love you. I miss quality time. Can't we go to dinner some night and ... have a sleep over?"

Alex was already moving them towards the door and ushering Loki out of the back room. "We'll see baby.. I'll do what I can.. okay? Now.. go home and I'll call you later.. if I can get some privacy, okay?"

 

 

Loki was sent home in a cab to his two room apartment. He'd managed with Alex's help to get a place of his own and even though it was small, it was his and he was proud of it. He convinced Alex to let him keep his job at Borders bookstore mainly because he liked being there especially when Alex couldn't spend time with him. He wasn't exactly 'kept' by Alex but they'd been dating with the promise of Alex's pending divorce for two years now. Alex promised him once it was over, and his kids went away to college, he'd move Loki into his house. So far, he'd been dragging his feet on the divorce so that he wouldn't have to pay for his kids' college tuition. Plus, what his wife wanted in alimony was insanity. If he waited it out until the kids were 18, he'd at least not have to pay child support.

Loki had fallen head over heels for Alex right from the start. He was older, but young looking. Handsome, successful, wealthy, but the latter hadn't even mattered that much to Loki. Alex was charming, at least at first. He wined and dined Loki and put him on a pedestal. It was exactly what Loki needed and wanted. How could he help but fall in love with him... and not notice along the way that he was being manipulated, used and degraded.

Alex was anything but faithful but he always found a way to make it up to him, talk him back into his arms... and into his bed. Buying him the bookstore was the biggest and latest attempt to keep him in his place.

 

 

 

Loki sat on his bed reading, phone at his side waiting for a call from Alex. At 10:30, he got a text instead.

_**Baby, can't get away tonight.** _

_**I'll call you tomorrow. xo** _

_**love you.** _

 

 

_Okay. :(_

_I understand._

_I can't wait to start on the store!_

_Thank you again! :)_

_I love you so much! xoxo_

 

 

 

 

Two months later, Loki was working full time, five days a week in his new book store. Alex paid to have it stocked full after Loki came up with a list of all the books and stationary he wanted to carry. They celebrated with a grand opening a month before. Thanks to so many of Alex's business associated and friends, the bookstore was near to turning a small profit by the third month. Loki was ecstatic.

"Let's go out for dinner tonight... " Alex suggested softly, pulling a loose strand of Loki's hair back behind his ear just as the store was closing up on a Saturday night, "... we'll go someplace nice.... someplace quiet where we can talk."

Loki was smiling from ear to ear as he counted up the days' receipts and put them into a bank envelope. He's taught himself so much about how to run his business. He was so happy this particular night, he hadn't even noticed that Alex had said that he wanted to 'talk'.

"Really?" he gushed, happy that Alex was going to spend a Saturday night with him. "Okay...  can I stop by my place to change?"

"You look stunning. No need for that." Alex insisted.

Loki idled up and slithered his arms around his neck and kissed him. "Thank you." he said, accepting the compliment, tracing his finger over the gray hairs at Alex's temples. "Are you alright? You seem .....sad or something?" Loki pouted.

Alex took a breath and sighed. He supposed he didn't even need to do this at dinner.. and probably better to do it in private anyway.

"Baby... look... " he began, his eyes dropping a bit.

Loki's heart sank. "What?" he asked, furrowing his brows.

"You're very special to me...and I think the world of you... "

Loki tensed and just stared at Alex's face.

"... but this won't work anymore. I'm going to try to make things work with my wife." he said bluntly, then finally made eye contact with Loki. "I gotta take another shot with her... and I can't be distracted. You can keep the store... it's your's, and ... I'll pay your rent on the apartment for the next few months til you start really making this work. I know you will.. you're so good at this... the best thing I ever did was get you this place... you're going to put the competition out of business someday.... "

ALex kept talking but Loki didn't hear anything past the first sentence. His eyes were filling and his heart felt like it might very well bleed out through his chest.

"Now, now.. .no tears. " Alex insisted. "You're gonna be fine." he said kissing his forehead.

Loki didnd't know what to say or how to say anything right now. It seemed so final already. Alex had thought this through and it was his intention to do this ever since he showed up at the store tonight. It wasn't to take Loki out, it was to leave him.

"You .... I thought.... you love me. You said you didn't love her.... you said.."

Alex patted his hip and backed away. "I know baby.... please, don't make this harder than it already is." But his tone implied this wasn't very hard for him at all. "Come on... I'll call you a cab so you don't have to take the bus tonight, okay? "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love that some of you are commenting because it really does help me keep going on this. I have some lapses of time between chapters because either 'life' or I just can't organize my thoughts enough to write. I know where I want this to go, but sometimes I start writing and it writes itself. Other times I feel like I hit a wall and I don't know where to go with it. You comments, suggestions and kudos are much appreciated.


	20. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, those last couple chapters were tough... sorry. This one is pretty tame. Some fluff and stuff.

 

 

Overall, the trip to London was a complete success. Had it not been for Alex's interferences, it might have actually been perfect. Loki and Thor moved ahead several steps in their relationship but yet, Loki was still nervous. Mostly due to the fact that when they returned to New York, Alex would expect to see him. Loki's stomach was doing flips every time he let himself think about it.

 

Thor gave the cab driver Loki's address first, intending to drop him off, let him unpack and get settled in and then hopefully talk him into staying the night at _his_ place instead. They held hands but frankly were both so tired from traveling since early this morning that they talked very little. Thor ordered the cab to stay while he helped take Loki's luggage out of the trunk and started up the front steps to his building with them.

"I can get them love." Loki insisted.

"Okay.. well, call me later once you're settled, okay? Tell Darcy hi for me." He gave Loki a chaste kiss at his doorway.

"I will. I might need a nap though." Loki admitted.

"You can nap at my place." Thor added suggestively.

Loki smiled and kissed him again. "Aren't you sick of me yet?"

"Never" Thor purred, returning the kiss.

 

 

 

Loki mostly unpacked. He was exhausted so the rest of the unpacking could wait until tomorrow. He was happy to be home, with Sasha. Darcy had not only taken care of his business but his cat too. He found the souvenirs in his carryon that he bought her and set them aside to take to the store tomorrow. It was nearly midnight London time and he was feeling the effects of the heavy travel day and now, the late hour. He undressed and laid on the bed in his boxers and shot Darcy and Thor some texts.

 

_Thank you for taking care of everything._

_I have some presents for you I"ll bring to_

_the shop tomorrow. I'm beat. Going to_

_bed early :P_

 

**_ Okay! YAY presents!! See  you tmrw boss.  _ **

**_ :) _ **

 

Then Thor:

 

_I'm so exhausted. I think I'm going to bed._

_:)_

 

 

_**What? without me? How will you sleep?** _

 

 

_I don't know how I ever did before you._

 

 

**_What about dinner? Want me to bring_ **

**_something_ ** _**over?** _

 

 

_I'm seriously too tired to eat._

_But you can come over if you want to._

_You have more stamina than I do. How_

_are you not sleepy?_

 

**_I think your stamina is just fine!_ **

_**Would you rather be alone?** _

 

 

_No. It's not that.. I'm just too tired_

_to move. I'm laying on the bed in_

_my boxers. Don't even have the_

_energy for a shower._

 

**_MMmm... well now I HAVE to_ **

_**come over. ;)** _

 

_Don't forget your key. Wake me_

_up when you get here._

 

**_Not a chance. You're grumpy when_ **

**_you wake up. :( :P_ **

 

 

_I"ll be nice. I promise. :) xoxo_

 

**_See you in a bit. Love you. xoxo_ **

 

_Love you too :)_

 

 

He flopped his phone down onto the bed, still in his hand and shut his eyes. Oh god, he can't remember being this tired in a long time. The phone vibrated again in his hand just as he felt that nice dozy feeling coming over him and he was about to drift off. It startled him but realized he was just starting to fall asleep and Thor must have texted again. He brought the phone up to his eyes again as if it weighted his arm.

 

_**Hey baby. You're back?** _

_**Lunch tomorrow? I'll pick you up** _

_**at the store?** _

 

 

UGH! Alex. How did he know he was back? What the actual fuck?

 

_No. I'll meet you somewhere._

_Café Classico. Noon._

_Are you fucking stalking me?_

 

 

**_I took a chance that you were_ **

**_back... and alone. Am I right?_ **

 

_I'm tired. Very very tired._

_Going to bed._

 

**_See you tomorrow babe,_ **

_**Looking forward to it.** _

 

 

Loki didn't hear Thor come in an hour later. He promptly undressed down to his boxers and crawled into Loki's small bed. This is why they had sleepovers at Thor's place he remembered. King sized bed was way more comfortable than a queen for a man his size.

Loki stirred just a little. "Thor?" he mumbled.

"Who else would it be?" he whispered and smiled, placing a kiss to Loki's cheek.

Loki inhaled deeply, taking in his familiar and warm scent. "Mmmm... you just got here?"

"Mmhmm... long enough to undress and get in your bed."

"Did you lock the door?" Loki asked, suddenly remembering that his phone was still somewhere on the bed. He fell asleep before he saw Alex's last text and his phone buzzed again on the bed beside him. He started fumbling to find it.

"Fall asleep with your phone?" Thor chuckled.

"N-no... it's ... it's just an alarm for a reminder I forgot to turn off." he lied easily.

Thor found the phone under him first and Loki all but grabbed it from him and shut it off.

"Okay?" Thor asked.

"Yeah... just... sleep." Loki mumbled and burrowed his face into Thor's chest again.

"Okay... sleep.... " Thor whispered as he caressed Loki's back. "Night my love."

"Night... mmph... lv.. yu.."

Thor smiled and squeezed Loki snuggly. "Love you too." he assured him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	21. A Reunion of Sorts

 

Loki's heart was pounding in his chest as he sat at the café facing the door and windows, waiting for Alex. He was already ten minutes late and Loki could swear he was doing it on purpose knowing that it would make Loki all the more anxious. He just wanted to get this over with. He checked his phone nervously at least a dozen times.

Earlier that morning, he'd awakened to Thor trailing soft kisses down his abdomen and was soon writhing and bucking his hips gently, hot panting breaths and whimpers escaping from his gaping mouth as Thor deep-throated him. After his mind-blowing orgasm, Thor kissed his way back up his body, gently rolled him over on his stomach, lifted his hips and fucked him thoroughly, followed by many more kisses, cuddles and I love yous.

It had been a great morning.

And now, he sat here at lunch hour waiting on his ex to show up. The ex that had thoroughly fucked him, ripped his heart out and tossed him away like he was nothing. What was he doing?

At 12:14 he picked up his phone again and was about to text Alex and tell him he was leaving but the minute he began typing, in he walked. Loki heard his distinct chuckle first as he flirted with the waitress as she pointed him in Loki's direction. The man had not aged, or so it seemed, still devilishly handsome, dressed pristinely and walking with an air of confidence.  

"There's my baby." he cooed as he approached the table and leaned in to kiss Loki's cheek. There was little Loki could do but wince and lean away as much as was possible in his seated position.

"Stop it." he snapped. "You're late. I was about to leave."

Alex smiled easily and sat down across from him. "Now sweetie... you know how busy I get... nothing's changed I'm afraid. Busier than ever. It was all I could do to break away to meet you."

"You wanted to meet with me...." he reminded him, quite aggravated, "so.. what is this about?"

"I'll have a cup of coffee... and a Rueben ." he ordered a the waitress approached.

"For you hun? More tea?" she asked Loki.

"Just tea.. thank you." he remarked flatly.

"Mmm.. no wonder you still look so lovely... you've kept your figure perfect, love." Alex said softly as the waitress left.

"Answer me." Loki snapped. "You're not the only one that's busy. I'd like to get back to the shop."

"Ah yes, the shop. I stopped by. You've done a great job with it, Loki. I'm afraid since I hired a property manager for that building, I haven't really paid much attention to it. I'm so glad you kept up your end of our little deal."

"Our _deal_?"

The waitress brought his coffee over and set it down in front of him, leaving a new tea bag and little pot of hot water for Loki. Alex took a pack of sugar from the container on the table and tapped it with his finger before opening it and shaking it into his cup before answering.

"Our deal. I gave you the shop as a gift... did I not? And did you not promise me that you'd take care of it?" He chuckled, remembering back on the day. "Oh ... you were so darling. You wanted to clean it with your bare hands... do everything yourself.  To save me money. So sweet."

Loki glared at him, not moving to pour another cup of tea, waiting to see what this was about. He could feel that there was something edgy about the way Alex spoke. The man could be very convincing and was great at manipulating even the strongest willed individuals. It's what made him so successful.

Alex sipped his coffee then leaned over towards Loki a little closer. "Ah Loki... " he sighed, "I've missed you. What was I thinking letting you go?"

Loki averted his eyes a moment to the tea cup before him. It struck a cord with him. It's all he had ever wanted and waited to hear for months after Alex left him. Hearing the words now was surreal.

Alex reached over and took Loki's hand. The fact that he didn't pull his hand away surprised him as much as it surprised Loki himself. That's when he knew he had him.

"Listen, ... baby.... I made a mistake. I miss you." he paused a moment and squeezed his hand. "I ... _need_ you."

Loki looked into his eyes and saw the man that he'd once known, that he'd once fallen so madly in love with. His heart raced.

"Need me? For what?" he tried to remark with a snarky tone but it came out soft as a child.

"I need you to come back to me. I _promise_ you...." he lowered his voice and squeezed his hand, "...it will _not_ be like it was before. I'm a changed man, Loki."

For as much of an asshole that Alex could be, he had this side to him that could be so convincing, so sincere... so loving. It was the part of him that Loki liked to hold on to the most when they were together. It helped him deal with the asshole moments that he so liked to ignore in favor of times when Alex was soft and sweet and needy for him. It wasn't the gifts or the money as much as it was that affection that Loki craved. The promises of love and loyalty to him.

 

"Let me show you... let me have another chance to show you how much I adore you. That's all I ask."  Alex brought Loki's hands to his lips and kissed his knuckles and Loki allowed it.

 

 

 

Walking back to his shop, he was shaking. Obviously, visibly so because when Darcy took one look at him she put her book down on the counter and gawked at him. "How was lunch? You okay? " she followed him with her eyes as he rounded the counter and headed for the back room. "Is Thor okay? Hey... are  you guys okay?" she followed him into the back room.

"Fine... we're .... fine.. I just... I don't feel too well." he admitted, sitting down at the desk. "Would you mind locking up tonight?" he asked shakily.

"No... I don't mind. Do you want to lie down? Want me to call you a cab?"

"No... I'll be okay.. I just need some air... " he replied in a daze.

 

He went directly home, opting to get a cab when he was about five blocks from the shop. His mind was a mess of unorganized thoughts, feelings and memories. He laid on his sofa and just stared up at the ceiling. How could he still have feelings for him? How? He was over him. He moved on. Plus.. THOR. He had Thor.

Thor who loved him and worshipped him and made love to him so sweetly, ....

 

just like Alex once had.

 

Everything he could say about Thor now, he could have once said about Alex, he realized.

Alex had lied to him and cheated on him, but not at first. Was it only a matter of time before Thor did too?

 

 

He was torn from his confusing thoughts when his phone rang.

 

"Hey... hi." he said sweetly.

 

"Hi. I forgot to ask you something and I needed an answer kinda quick so I called..." Thor said in his work voice, meaning Natasha must be near by or some other work related person.

"Okay?" Loki grinned.

"We have this big thing here at the museum Friday night... formal kinda thing. I need a date. I was wondering... do you know anyone that might accompany me?"

Loki could hear the smile in his voice even though he was trying to sound serious.

"Umm.. well... there's that guy upstairs in my building. He's single. I'm not sure though.. I think Friday night is his bingo night at the senior center. I could ask Darcy if she'll go with you...."

Thor chuckled. "Hmm.. not really my type. See, I need some real nice arm candy for the night... maybe somebody tall, lean, ... prefer a brunette... and someone that can talk and socialize but still be real pretty so I can impress all my work friends."

Loki hummed. "Hm.. I don't think I know anyone like that. Sorry."

"Eh..well, it was worth a shot.... talk to you later." Thor replied dead casual.

Loki laughed. A sound Thor never tired of.

"Are you free?" Thor asked. "I meant to ask you earlier. It slipped my mind. I was rather occupied this morning."

"I'm free... and I'd love to. Do I need a tux?"

"If you have one... if not a suit is fine."

"I think I have something around here." Loki replied.

"You keep your tux at the shop?" Thor smiled.

"Um.. no.. home. I'm at home. I came home early. Darcy is closing up."

"You okay?"

"Yeah... just tired I guess. I was feeling a little weird so I came home to lay down."

"Aww.. . want me to bring you anything after work? Or before that?"

"No... no, I'm fine... just need some rest I guess. Someone kept me very busy for the past week overseas... I'm still adjusting back to my normal everyday life."

"So... no sleepovers tonight?" Thor replied sadly.

"Maybe not. Is that okay?"

"It's fine honey. Just tell me if you need anything though. Okay?"

"Okay. I will."

"Okay.. well... call me later if you want ... love you."

"I will. Love you too." he answered, his words echoing in his ears.

This conversation couldn't have been more identical to one's he'd had with Alex in the past and frankly, that scared him.

 

 

 

 


	22. Distractions

 

Loki used his alone time that night to take a long, hot bath. He tried reading but the book he was currently reading wasn't that interesting and his attention span just wasn't there. He couldn't stop thinking about Alex no matter how hard he tried. His brain just wouldn't let him shake the things that Alex said to him or the memories that he'd pushed to the back of his mind for the last few years. Lovely memories that he didn't allow himself to think about but now, there was no stopping them. His mind betrayed him with a non-stop flow of them. He recalled upon the not so good times, too. Like when he caught him cheating on him with his wife of all people. He had an excuse of course, Alex always did and it didn't take long for him to win Loki over with sweet words, promises and of course, presents. The words were what always got Loki back, much more so than the presents, though they were always nice - shoes, clothes, watches, extravagant dinners and trips, the book store,.... a _kitten_. Sasha was a Christmas gift from Alex on what turned out to be their last Christmas together.  It was one of Loki's favorite times with Alex.

 

 

_Christmas eve, Alex took Loki to the most beautiful hotel in the city where they had an extravagant dinner, then took him dancing afterward. They stayed the night together and Alex didn't once mention his wife or kids or anything work related other than to promise him he'd leave her for good. He doted on Loki the whole evening and promised him that in the New Year, he'd make his divorce official. He'd been living in an apartment in the city once he left their main household but the fact remained that he was still married and still from time to time, went home to her, hoping to avoid any unnecessary financial expenditures by keeping her at bay._

_"I promise, baby.... by spring.. I'll  go ahead with the divorce. My kids will both be eighteen by then and I won't have to pay for the ungrateful brats anymore. I"ll move you into my apartment, then... once she's out.. you can come live in the house with me. Would you like that?" he smiled._

_"I would happy anywhere with you.." Loki assured him, "... I just want to be with you."_

_They were pressed against eachother slow dancing as they talked, Alex's hand on the small of Loki's back, holding his hand in the other as they shifted back and forth to the music, gazing into eachother's eyes as if they were the only people on the floor._

_Loki thought that this night was his Chirstmas present, and it was more than he expected or could have ever asked for. A romantic over night with his handsome boyfriend in the most lavish hotel in the city. Alex even made sure the staff put up a small tree in the suite they stayed in so that when they returned from their night out, it was the only thing that lit their rooms making a warm, sparkling glow from it's tiny white lights._

_"Oh my god, Alex... this is so beautiful!" Loki gushed as they walked into the suite, the aroma of pine lightly scenting the air. "A **tree?** Oh my god.. it's **real** too!" He threw his arms around Alex and kissed him. "This is so perfect. You're perfect!" _

_Alex just chuckled and patted Loki's ass and kissed him._

_"I have a present for you..." Loki grinned, wiggling his hips in Alex's hands. "... can I give it to you now?"_

_"You're my present..." Alex replied lowly, and dipped his face into Loki's neck and nipped him while his hands squeezed his ass firmly. "...I can't think of anything I'd want more than this."_

_Loki snorted, "You **always** have that... I wanted to get you something special... but it's really hard to buy anything for you. I want to give it  you now.... here by the tree... it's so perfect." _

_"Okay, .. but then I want you naked on that bed in there, you gorgeous thing ...that's my real present." he growled, squeezing him and kissing at his neck and face._

_"Okay... okay.." Loki laughed gleefully, "Stay here... " he insisted, holding his finger up and backing away. Their bags had been brought up by the concierge and placed in the bedroom. Loki rummaged through his bag quickly and pulled out a small green wrapped package. He hurried back to the room where he left Alex, who was now reclining slightly in the chair nearest the tree holding a drink he'd made himself at the mini bar._

_"I was hoping you'd be coming back in here nude." he smiled._

_"Not yet." Loki chided and sunk down onto his knees next to the chair and between Alex's legs._

_"Well... this is a good start." Alex replied with raised brows._

_"This first." Loki said, placing the small wrapped box in his lap, looking up at him through long black lashes._

_Loki's lips were red and his cheeks flushed from the wine he'd been drinking all night. The tree's lights made his eyes look bright and sparkling. With his hair all down tonight in thick waves, he was absolutely irresistible. Alex couldn't take his eyes off of him._

_He picked up the package and raised one brow. "What is it?" he asked, putting his drink on the side table._

_"Open it and find out." Loki snorted and shoved his knee._

_Alex carefully unwrapped it, prolonging the event so as to take in Loki's beautiful anticipation. He pulled the paper off then opened the box and pulled out a long gold chain with two charms dangling from it. He palmed them and turned them towards the light to see better. "What are these, baby?"_

_"They're Norse runes. They're our initials.. together." He paused and worried his brows, "Do you like it? I mean.. it's not real gold, but gold plated." He couldn't afford the real thing on his salary at Borders afterall._

_"I love them baby. Very pretty."_

_"Will you wear it? To think of me... to think of us?"_

_"Baby.. I don't need a reminder to think of you." he said easily. "I think about you all the time."_

_He leaned over, taking Loki's chin between his fingers, tilted his head up and kissed him. "Thank you baby. This must have been expensive for you to buy on your own. I'll give you some money this week for your January rent."_

_"Noo... I saved for it. I don't want you to pay for your present!" he insisted._

_"Here... put it on for me." he said holding it up to Loki to place it around his neck._

_"No.. I want you to wear it." But by that time Alex was already fastening it around Loki's neck and sat back to look at him._

_"There. It's much prettier on your neck." he smiled, caressing his thumb over Loki's cheek. Frankly, he appreciated the sentiment but it's not the type of jewelry he'd be caught dead wearing. Cheap as well as tacky but it suited Loki just fine .. for now._

_Loki just smiled and turned his head slightly to kiss Alex's fingers. The man then rubbed his thumb over Loki's lower lip, pushing it between his lips gently until he felt teeth, then tongue. "Look at you.... so gorgeous." he commented softly, encouraging Loki to take more of his finger._

_Loki kissed, then slowly sucked the digit as his hands ran up Alex's thighs to his belt and began unfastening it._

 

 

_Christmas morning , Loki was awakened by something.... something that wasn't entirely Alex on the bed. He was laying on his side, facing Alex who was half way sitting up, resting on an elbow and facing Loki. "Merrry Christmas, baby." he said softly. Loki cracked open one eye then shut it again. He could feel the sensation of something that might have been ALex's fingers but those were carding through his hair. He opened his eyes again, this time lifting his head a little._

_"Merry Christmas," he mumbled, "what's...... what's that.... "  His eyes widened when he found the source of the little fingers that were crawling over his hip. He sat up slowly, mouth gaping and eyes, though still fighting to stay shut, wide open._

_"Alex.... " he gushed, "who's this?"_

_"That's your present.... " he replied, "I don't have name for him... that's for  you to decide."_

_"A kitten? " Loki sat up more and reached for the little black fluff ball and bright green eyes. "Ohhh... god.... " he gushed, holding the kitten to his face and cuddling it. "Oh my god... " he said again, his eyes filling up._

_"Like him?"_

_"I love him... I **love** him.... and I love **you**..." he leaned over and kissed the man sweetly, "thank youuu... aww... he's so cute." _

_"Just like you... a little black kitten for my little kitten."_

 

 

 

 On Tuesday Loki brought Thor a coffee before he boarded the train. After so many weeks, Thor had managed to always get them two seats together, being as the other regular passengers began realizing they were together.

"Thanks hon." Thor smiled, taking the cup of latte from Loki as he stood up, letting Loki always take the window seat. It was logical to him as Thor got off the stop before him but Loki liked being sort of cocooned in by the window and his very large boyfriend. "Well rested?" he asked as he sipped  from the cup.

"Very." Loki lied. He'd not slept well all night as if the dark circles under his eyes weren't any indication. "Honestly, after a week in London with you... I'm finding it rather hard to return to my usual days at work." he half joked. It wasn't just work that was making him want to escape again.

Alex had texted him last night in between texts with Thor and the entire thing left him feeling guilty and sick to his stomach.

"I'm not going to be able to get away for lunch today..." Thor commented, "..meetings throughout the day about the new exhibit and the event on Friday night."

"That's okay. I understand." It wasn't as though they could get away for lunch together everyday. In fact, it rarely happened more than three times a week.

"I'll make it up to you if you come over tonight, though. I'll make dinner... and we can watch a movie or... _something."_ he smiled, that warm, happy, sunny smile that he used to make Loki's heart melt.

"You don't have anything to make up to me. But yeah, that sounds nice. I'll come over right after work."

"Don't you want to stop home and get some things?" Thor still hadn't convinced Loki to keep a portion of his wardrobe at his place for impromptu sleep overs, no matter how many times he'd suggested it.

 "A sleepover? On a school night, professor?" Loki smirked and quirked a brow.

Thor hummed. "You know what it does to me when you call me that they way you do. Not fair." he murmured and shifted in his seat.

Loki chuckled and turned his head back towards the window and looked out as they came out of the tunnel. He let the issue lie there without actually answering it. He'd wait and see how he felt later. Right now, he was still feeling guilty and out of sorts. He shouldn't be talking to Alex let alone thinking about him. He hated himself for it.

After a chaste kiss, Thor got off at his stop and promised to text when he could get a break throughout the day. "Love you... have a good day." he murmured into Loki's ear before standing up and leaving.

 

 

Loki's head was not his own. He was distracted and irritable all day. He tried to ignore the texts coming through knowing that since Thor was busy, they'd probably be from Alex.

He was right.

He finally looked at them as soon as Darcy showed up at lunch time.

 

_**Baby, can't stop thinking about you.** _

_**How's your day going? Can you get** _

_**away for lunch?** _

 

 

_**I want to go on a trip with you.** _

_**You pick the place. I'll take** _

_**you anywhere you want to go.** _

_**I'm remembering our trip to** _

_**the Caribbean. You in that blue** _

_**pool on the white sands.** _

_**Breathtaking.** _

 

 

_**Forget about lunch. I can't get away.** _

_**Sorry, baby.**_

_**How about dinner?** _

 

 

 "I'm going out for lunch.. I'm starving." Loki reported to Darcy as he came out from behind the counter and breezed by her.

"Uh.. okay. Bye." she watched him leave and just rolled her eyes. Grumpy second day in a row. She'd might have to tell Thor to do a better job of getting his boyfriend to chill.

 

Loki walked past the usual places he'd get lunch. He found himself at a Mediterranean restaurant where he and Thor went once because it was closer to the Museum and he was short on time, so Loki met him. He perused the menu posted outside the door before deciding what he wanted to order. Stepping inside, he was greeted by the hostess with a smile, "Hello... " she said cheerily, "... how many in your party today?"

"Oh.. no.. just one. I'd like to make an order to go." he replied.

"Sure.. what can I get for you?"

Before Loki could even open his mouth to order, he heard a very familiar laugh. He turned his head to his left and quickly spotted Thor, sitting with his back to him giving Loki a clear view of the person he was having lunch with. Loki turned away quickly and looked at the hostess again, suddenly forgetting what it was he wanted to order. "Uh.. I'll have... " interrupted by another chuckle from Thor and then a laugh from his company, "... I'll have.... the..." he turned back to look at the table where Thor was again and got very flustered. Whoever he was with they seemed very familiar with Thor and if Loki's was any judge of  body language, they blonde was flirting with Thor.

Loki's heart was racing and his face suddenly felt hot.

"Sir?" the hostess said softly, pulling Loki's attention back to her.

"Oh uh.. the salad..." he pointed at the menu in from of him, "and .. pita with hummus..." he replied softly in case he could be heard by anyone but her.

"Sure. Give us about five minutes.. okay?"

"Yes, uh.. can I pay you now... I'd like to wait outside if that's alright."

The woman gave a look over to where Loki had been looking and nodded, understandingly. "Sure.. not a problem." Obviously, he didn't want to run into someone that was in the restaurant.

 

Too late.

 

"Loki?" Thor's voice came like a wave over him and he stopped just before making his get away.

 

Thor had just stood up and was about to leave with his lunch partner when he spotted Loki.

"Hi.." Loki gushed and tried his best to smile as not only Thor was looking directly at him but also the man at his table. "I was just... getting lunch.. I .. "

"Hi yourself. " he said happily. "Dillon.. this is Loki. Loki, this is Dillon Makoff, he's the artist who's exhibit we're installing this week."

"Hello.." Loki nodded and shook the hand of the man that was now not only holding his hand out to him but giving him a definite once over. He knew that look and he knew what the man was doing. He hadn't missed the way he had been looking at Thor or the way his body leaned into his when they sat at the table. "Nice to meet you. I look forward to seeing the exhibit." he lied.

"Thanks." the cute blonde replied.

"Loki is attending the opening with me Friday night." Thor smiled and looked at Loki proudly.

"Great. I'll see you there." Dillon replied. Loki couldn't help but note a slight tone to his voice. Was he reading into it too much?

"I know this looks like lunch.." Thor continued, "but it was a meeting." he laughed, Dillon laughing along with him in a way Loki most definitely could have done without. He had a sudden urge to bash his face in. His cute, tanned, blonde haired face.

"I was just getting something to take back to the shop." Loki said, "Sick of the same stuff all the time so .. I came here." he added awkwardly.

 

"Here's your order sir." the hostess said handing Loki a white bag with both hands.

"Ah.. thanks." he replied, taking the bag gingerly, trying like hell to keep a normal smile on his face. "Well.. I should get back."

"Okay... us too." Thor said touching his hand to the small of Loki's back as they turned toward the door. "I'll see you tonight." he said a little softer as they walked out into the sidewalk.

Loki nodded. "Yes... tonight." he agreed, shooting glance back at Dillon. "Nice to meet you." he said again.

Thor grabbed his hand that wasn't holding the bag and pulled him back gently, leaning in and kissing his cheek. He smiled... _that smile,_ at him. "Nice surprise to see you honey." he murmured lowly.

Loki just grinned and nodded as their hands slid apart as they went their separate ways. He tried to walk at a normal pace but he could feel the eyes at his back.  He didn't dare look back lest he might catch Dillon looking back at him too.

It was when he was about half way back to the shop that he realized his breathing was a bit rapid. He'd been walking as if he were in a power- walking race. Still slightly out of breath when he walked in the shop.

"Geez.. where'd you go for lunch? Spain?" Darcy quipped.

Loki sighed and just walked into his back room and shut the door. He put the bag on the desk and sat down in the chair. He wasn't even hungry anymore... and why the hell did he feel like crying? Was he cracking up? His text alert went off in his pocket and he angrily wrestled it out of his pocket and looked at it.

 

 _ **So.. dinner? Anywhere you want**_.

 

_Why do you assume I'm free?_

 

_**Are you?** _

 

_No_

_I'm not free tonight._

 

Wait. Why did he sat that? He wasn't free any night.

 

_**Tomorrow then?** _

_**Stop teasing me baby.** _

 

 

 

 

At closing time, Loki was alone in the shop. He locked the doors five minutes early not expecting any more customers. Tuesdays were generally slow. He returned to the back room to add up his receipts for the day. He still had about a half hour before Thor would be getting home and he'd meet him there. His phone rang and he cringed thinking it would be Alex but was relieved to see it was Thor.

"Hi" he answered.

"Hi.. how are you doing?"

"Good. Just closing up. I'm going to see you in a half hour... why are you calling?" he asked suspiciously thinking that this must mean he was running late. Indeed, he was correct.

"Umm.. well.. I'm kinda tied up."

Loki heard a distinct chuckle in the background.

"So.. no dinner tonight?" Loki asked.

"Oh, no.. not that tied up. I just won't make it there by the time you do. You still have my key on you?"

"Yep... right here on my key chain. Should I get anything started when I get there?"

"Hmm..." Thor hummed.

Loki could hear movement as if he was walking around and then his voice dropped to a low whisper.

"...you could start by being naked laying on my sofa." Thor replied.

"I meant for dinner." Loki smirked, feeling the heaviness of his day and insecurities start to melt away.

"So did I " Thor quipped.

 

 

Thor took a full hour to get home after Loki had let himself into his apartment. He breezed in finding Loki reclining on his sofa reading a book. "Close.. but that's not what I ordered." he joked as tossed his jacket over a chair.

Loki put his book down on his chest and smiled up at him, fully expecting a welcoming kiss.

"I'm going to jump in the shower... " he said as he looked down, wriggling his tie loose and pulling it off. He leaned over Loki and left a quick chaste kiss on his forehead, ".. then I'll start dinner." he smiled.

"Uh.. okay." Loki managed to get out as Thor left the room. He furrowed his brow. That was a strange welcome home kiss. Not at all his usual reception. He stared up at the ceiling and wondered just what had made Thor an hour late, and since when does he take a shower the minute he gets home from work? And not even invite Loki into the shower with him? What the fuck?

Slowly, he stood up and went to the doorway of the bathroom when he heard the water begin to run in the shower. "Would you like me to start something?" he asked, raising his voice over the running shower.

"Nah.. I'll be right out. Make yourself a cup of tea if you haven't yet. Relax."

Loki took a deep breath and padded to the kitchen and put the tea kettle on. While he waited for it to boil, he absentmindedly poured himself a glass of wine. One for Thor too. He stood there sipping it lost in his thoughts. He didn't like where his mind was taking him but he couldn't seem to stop the negative thoughts from coming anyway. He was jarred from his irrational reflections when the shower turned off. Soon enough, Thor was entering wrapped in a towel low on his hips. Loki held up the second glass of wine.

"Well... aren't you the doting little husband." he grinned and took the glass. He tilted his head and came in for a kiss on the lips, soft and much nicer than the first. "Thank you."

Loki hadn't missed the affectation and was stunned by it. Husband? Where did that come from?

"What's wrong?" Thor said, pulling back and pausing a moment. Loki looked a little surprised.

"Nothing." he muttered and reached over and shut the kettle off. Wine seemed to be in order tonight. He idled right back up to Thor and reached in for more kisses.

Thor pulled away just enough to speak softly, "I'll never get dinner made like this." he smiled warmly and kissed him again.

This time it was Loki's turn to pull away. "We could have ordered take out if I'd known you'd be this long." Not meaning for it to sound the way it came out.

Thor sighed lightly and nodded. "I know.. I'm sorry." he said stepping back and sipping his wine. Loki watched his eyes or expression for any sign of guilt but saw nothing. "Just some last minute things that had to be dealt with before the opening."

The opening wasn't until Friday. Today was Tuesday. How last minute could it be? "Was Dillon with you?"

Thor chuckled and set his glass down in lieu of opening the fridge to get some ingredients for dinner. "Of course he was." Thor stopped suddenly and shut the fridge door, turning back to look at Loki leaning up against the counter, arms folded and holding his glass up to his lips. "You're not jealous... are you?" he smiled.

"What? No! Just ... wondering .. that's all. I just.... " Loki paused , searching for exactly what he wanted to say.

Thor stepped back to him and took his glass of wine from Loki's hand and set it down on the counter, taking both his hands. "Loki..."" he said softly and sternly, "I .. am.. with.. _you_. No one else. " he said slowly as if he'd told him this for the umpteenth time... because he had.

"But he was absolutely flirting with  you... "

"So what? I wasn't flirting back. I introduced him to you, didn't I? Did I try to hide you? It's not my fault if people flirt with me anymore than it's your fault when they flirt with you."

"They don't flirt with me..."

"OHH-HO!" Thor laughed, "They absolutely do."

Loki slouched. "Not like they do with you."

THor sighed through another smile. Loki would need some coddling tonight, that much was clear. As usual, he didn't have a problem with that. "I just got a great idea." he said, wrapping his arms around Loki's waist. "Why don't we order take out... and skip the movie... "

 Loki huffed. He looked down Thor's broad chest and hooked his fingers in the towel and slowly pulled it off. "I could be talked into it... I guess."

 

 

 


	23. New and Old Pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guys, this is hard. I hate writing painful stuff but it has to be done. Without it, there's no story, right? 
> 
> Also, excuse typos. It is late and I don't feel up to editing tonight but want to post.

 

Loki didn't stay over that night, nor the next night... though he was tempted. Thor was sweet to him, offering him all the reassurances and coddling that he needed. The sex didn't hurt either. Still, it was the little things he was noticing, that addled his brain. The shower right after work, the extra time spent at  work, finding him at lunch with Dillon even when he told Loki he wouldn't be free for lunch that day. What things Loki didn't think up on his own, Alex was sure to fill in the blanks, adding in little digs and putting extra ideas in Loki's head.

 

 

Thursday, the day before the big opening night, Thor was busier than ever. There were all these last minute details and it seemed it was entirely up to him to either take care of them or delegate them to staff.

"Your tux is ready at the cleaners." Natasha reported as Thor walked through the exhibit room taking notes on things that still needed to be corrected or added. "Also, Dillon wants to know what time you need him here or if he needs to come in today.... and... " he lowered her voice knowing that the last thing she had to tell him would be taken the worst, "there's a last minute Board Meeting at 5pm that you have to attend."

Thor stopped in his tracks and looked at her, "Really?" he growled. "They just _have_ to meet today?" She shrugged. "As if I don't have enough to do?" he continued. "Alright... okay... tell Dillon unless anything major comes up, I don't' need him here today... and be here by 5:30 tomorrow. Can you pick up my tux by any chance?"

Natasha gave him a nod. "I can..." she began to say looking up at one of the pieces on the wall that didn't look quite right, "... hey... is that.... does that look secure to you?" she pointed out.

Thor followed her eyes and shook his head, pursing his lips, "Shit! Again?" he growled. "Dillon and I struggled with this thing Tuesday night until we were both sweating like pigs."

Natasha gave him a hard look, "Like .. pigs?" she quirked a brow.

"It's an expression." he shrugged.

"I don't think it's..."

"Okay.. well.. anyway... " he continued, clearly aggravated and feeling the pressure of time not on his side now, "...get Sam in here to help me with this. I'll need a ladder and ... I don't know.. tell him to bring his arsenal of tools... I swear this exhibit is cursed."

 

 

Loki hadn't heard from Thor since they were on the train together this morning. He knew that he'd be busy since they exhibit opened tomorrow. He found himself looking forward to going. He hadn't actually been to a big event with Thor yet, big enough to wear a tuxedo. He had one rented that he was picking up on the way home tonight. Darcy offered to work til close Friday night so that Loki could go home at lunch and have more time to get ready. He thanked her but politely reminded her that he was in fact still a man, and only needed about an hour to get ready for a night out. A shower, pull his hair back into a neat bun, put clothes on and out the door. Easy. Even so, he took her up on the offer to leave a little earlier. He'd take the time to get an hour of yoga in before getting ready. It would help relax him.

"How's the Adonis these days?" Darcy asked, resting her chin on her hand, leaning on the counter while Loki went through an inventory list.

"Fine." he answered softly, not looking up from his sheet.

She waited a moment. "Fine? Just fine? Not good, man.. not good." she mumbled then began to doodle on a piece of paper.

Loki looked up from his work, "What do you mean... 'not good?"

"You go from prancing around on clouds for weeks, flying off to London with him where I think you might just come back married, to ... 'fine'." she explained. "It's just weird, that's all. He's absolutely gorgeous,... and really fucking nice so... there's got to be something going on." she stopped and put her pen down and leaned in. "Is he bad?" she whispered.

"What? Bad?"

"At sex... is that his flaw? I mean, it seems impossible that someone like him could possibly be bad at...."

"Stop." Loki interrupted. "Just stop. Nothing is wrong. Nothing is 'fine'... he's busy this week.. that's all. He's had a lot of extra work to do... lunch meetings, late meetings... installations... just... a lot going on. " he explained maybe trying to convince himself a little more than her.

"Wait a minute..." she added thoughtfully, ".. does this have anything to do with Mr. Silver Fox that's been snooping around?"

"What?" Loki hissed.

"That guy.. that good looking older dude that came here. Yeah! You've been acting all heebie jeebie since he came here!" she realized as if figuring out clues to an ongoing puzzle in her own mind.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Loki growled. "Nothing has anything to do with Alex."

"Alex? Silver Fox has a name? Who is he? Is he trying to get with you? Have you seen him again?"

"Shut up... just stop." he shushed her endless questions. "He's.... he's my ex, alright? He owns this building." Okay, it was out. He may as well tell her. Darcy could be annoying but she was loyal and he could trust her and frankly, he needed to talk to someone about it.

"HE"S your ex? Whoa... whoa... okay, now you have to tell me more. Why is he coming around here and texting you so much?"

"He's .... wait.. how do you know he's texts me?"

Her mouth clamped shut and she backed off a little, putting her eyes back down to the doodle. "I .. um.. well, I might have seen it come up on your phone ... here or there." she admitted.

"You might have? You might have just happened to have seen my phone and who texted me?"

"Well..." she whined, "you've been acting so weird and ... you always got so extra weird when you got texts in the afternoon. I thought something was up with Adonis and I was worried."

Loki sighed. Just then, his phone vibrated beside him.

"Is that him?" Darcy looked over.

Loki grabbed his phone and held it to his chest. "Stop. Looking. At. My. Phone." he warned her. "Got it?"

"Pfft.... yeah.. okay."

He shoved his phone in his pants pocket without looking at it and tried to continue his inventory but it was nagging at him to know if it was Thor or Alex. It must be Thor. He hadn't texted all day and it was getting late. Surely he would text just a hello or something now.

When Darcy went to help a customer, thankfully soon, he checked it.

 

**_Hi baby. Surprise._ **

**_I'm on my way to the shop._ **

 

What? No! Why was Alex coming here?

The text was from five minutes ago and no sooner was Loki starting to text him back but the door to the shop opened and there he was, smiling and sauntering in like he owned the place. Which he sort of did. Loki's heart leapt into his throat and he had to swallow hard to get it down again. Darcy saw him and immediately turned to look at her very stunned friend behind the counter.

"Good afternoon, ... uh.. Darcy, right?" Alex grinned, walking past her. "Loki, darling." he said as he approached the counter. "Might I have a word with you in private?"

Loki stood a little taller, "What's this about?" he asked softly.

Alex leaned one elbow on the counter, keeping his other hand, holding a small bag in his other below the counter. "It's about you... and me.... and this." he said holding the bag up. "Let's go in the back... yes?" He didn't give Loki a chance to respond but came around the counter and ushered him into the back room, shutting the door behind them.

"Alex... "

"Ah ah ah..." he said holding his finger up to Loki's lips, "this first." he said handing Loki the small black bag.

"What's this?"

"Open it." Alex grinned, leaving little space between them.

Loki opened the bag and looked down into it, inside a small box. From a jeweler. "Alex... " he said and shut the bag again.

"Now.. now... I know how you like to dress up. It's just a little something I saw and I thought of my little magpie, how you like pretty things, and it would go well with your pretty eyes." He took the box from the bag and opened it for him. Inside a vintage emerald and gold tie tack.

Loki didn't want to react but he couldn't help but his eyes go a little wider. It was beautiful and perfect, he had to admit. Alex put it in his hands. "Don't tell me you don't like it. I know you do... I know that look too well. It's almost the same look you had when I gave you... Samantha?"

"Sasha." Loki corrected him.

"Right.. Sasha. You still have him?"

"Of course I do." Loki said ogling the gem.

"Will you accept it?" Alex asked, picking up the jewel and bringing it up to Loki's face to compare it to the color of his eyes. "it's not a bribe.. it's just a gift... between old friends." he smiled. "I'm not trying to buy you... I just have a lot to make up to you."

"I can't accept it." Loki said, pushing Alex's hand away. "It's .... beautiful but... I can't."

"You can." Alex murmured, moving closer.

Loki looked up from the gem and made eye contact. Here, alone in the back room, Alex looking like that at him, so soft and kind, he was taken back to years earlier. The man he had loved and lost so suddenly was right here with him, again, and wanting him back. How many times had he wished and prayed that Alex would call  him and say he wanted him back? How many nights had he cried himself to sleep over this very man? A man that hurt him but had also made him so happy and given him so much.

Alex lifted a hand to Loki's cheek and cupped his jaw. "I've missed that look... so much." he moved his face in closer. "Tell me what a fool I was to leave you." he whispered.

Just before he was about to be kissed, Loki pulled back. "Alex. Stop." he said firmly, averting his eyes. "You were a fool." he muttered. "But I will not be one now. I'm with Thor."

"But ... is he with you? Is he really, honey? I just don't want you to be hurt. With his past.... trust me. I"ve known him longer than you have. When you were in London, did you meet Nigel while you were there?"

Loki's eyes went wide. How did he know Nigel? This was all getting so weird.

"You did... " Alex affirmed, knowing by Loki's obvious reaction to the name, "...oh please tell you didn't have a threesome, darling."

"What? No... " Loki gushed, ".. he's just a friend. Thor introduced me to him where he worked."

Alex chuckled. "Oh.. a _friend_... is _that_ what he told you? If I recall, your boyfriend was quite taken with him on his last trip to London... and was more than willing to tell a few of us over drinks about all the fun he had last time in London."

Loki furrowed his brow. "When... when were you...."

"I told you, love... I'm on the board of the museum. I was in London the last time Thor was there .. several of us were. It was a major meeting with the National Museum. We were all out for drinks one night and Thor brought Nigel around... he's a cutie, for sure...and they were... quite close. They even propositioned a couple in our party to go back to the hotel with them."

Loki's mouth was agape. He had a feeling about Nigel, the way he looked at him, they way he touched Thor.

Alex's phone rang and he pulled it out of his jacket pocket and looked at it. "Ah... shit. I have to run, baby." He tucked the tie tack into Loki's hand. "Keep it. Wear it. Think about what I said... about a trip away for you and me. Anywhere you want, sweetheart. A new beginning for us." He leaned in and kissed Loki's cheek before the other could protest.

 

Loki, left alone in the back room suddenly, sat down in his desk chair. His heart ached. Was it true?

He wiped a tear away and opened his palm to look at the jewelry that ALex left behind for him. Would he lie about such a thing? And even if he was lying, there was the fact that Loki saw with his own eyes they way Nigel looked at him, the way he looked and touched Thor. Then, suddenly, his heart raced remembering that one afternoon that he couldn't get back to the hotel in time for them to go to lunch. When he did come back, he barely said hello to Loki or touched him before he went off to shower and get dressed to take him out for dinner. Loki didn't think much of it at the time but now, combined with Tuesday night being so similar, he began to put things together.

Was Thor fucking Dillon now? His heart raced and split into two at the same time. How could Thor look him right in the eyes and say such sweet things and still be betraying him? THen again, hadn't Alex once done the same thing to him? Was he still so oblivious to not see it in Thor now?

 

He dug out his phone with shaking hands and texted Thor.

 

_Will I see you tonight?_

 

It was several minutes... fifteen, before Thor returned the message. Loki hadn't moved from the spot where he sat, still deep in thought and feeling an enormous amount of anxiety. Thor's message did nothing to help it.

 

_**I'm going to be here late tonight.** _

_**Things are a mess. I'll explain later.** _

_**I'll call you when I can. xo** _

 

 

_ _

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to thank some of you for being so into this story. It really helps me keep going and though I love these two characters and want them to get their shit together, I still need some egging on to keep it going. I love the comments. Your support means more to me than I can say. Thank you so much for saying how much you like this.


	24. Encounters, Rendezvous and Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes down.

 

It was 11:30 pm by the time Loki heard from Thor again. He'd already heard from Alex five times throughout the night. Loki thanked him for the gift and then declined an invitation to dinner. He wondered if Alex knew that Thor was still at the museum or if he was just assuming he'd be alone tonight. Surely he must know about the opening tomorrow night. Was he going? Did he know Loki was going? It didn't come up in their text conversation.

 

_**On my way home now.** _

_**Exhausted. See you in** _

_**the morning. Love you. xo** _

 

_Okay. I'll bring you a coffee._

_Love you, too. xoxo_

 

When he got no further response from Thor that night, he finished the last chapter of his book and went to bed, feeling confused, sad and worried.

 

 

As promised, the next morning, Loki got on the train with two coffees, slightly heart broken to find that Thor couldn't get their usual seats together. He handed off the coffee to him seeing that the only seats available were singles towards the back. Thor was frowning and apologized as he took the coffee from him. "Morning, love." he murmured. "I'll call you when you get your seat."

Loki nodded. They'd done this once before when they couldn't sit together, they phoned eachother and were able to talk through their commute.

 

"Hi." he answered his phone as he got settled.

"Hi, sweetie... sorry about the seat."

"Not your fault." Loki snorted. "Did you get enough rest?"

"I slept, yeah... but rest... I don't know." he added, shifting his shoulders a little uncomfortably. His muscles were tight from tension and long work hours.

"Everything okay?"

Thor turned slightly to look over his shoulder at Loki and winked. "Yeah... everything's great. You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm looking forward to tonight." he said, though he wasn't sure he meant it.

"Me too," Thor said  turning forwards again, "looking forward to it being over with at this point. Are you working tomorrow?"

"No... Darcy's weekend."

"Good." he sighed, "Can we just spend the whole day together?"

Loki smiled and blinked, looking down the isle at him. "Yes. I'd like that."

"Stay over tonight?" Thor asked hopeful.

"Sure."

"All weekend?" Thor pressed a little further.

Loki chuckled and Thor turned around again to smile at him. "Okay... yes. Can we stop by my place tomorrow then and get Sasha and some stuff?"

"Of course." Thor grinned and turned forward again.

"Smile for me again." Thor said after a moment and turned around again.

Loki laughed softly, "Why." he asked, beaming at him from several rows away.

"Because that smile gets me through my day."

Loki huffed. "I could send you a selfie."

"Ohhh..." Thor hummed, "if you're going to do that... can I have a naughty one too?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Umm... " Loki laughed. "We'll see."

 

 

 

Loki's tux wasn't black but so dark green that it might appear black, until he stood beside a black one. He had to admit that the tie tack was perfect with it. Alex really did know his taste. He couldn't wear it with a tie so he wore it on the lapel of the tux and liked the little statement it made. He wasn't sure why he wanted to wear it and felt slightly guilty about it, but it did look so nice with the outfit.

Thor sent a limo for him since he had to stay at the museum til 5 o'clock and had just barely enough time to take a cab home, shower and change before the limo would pick him up after Loki.

"I thought you were sending a car for me..." Loki said as Thor got inside, "...not a **_car_**!"

Thor chuckled and leaned over and kissed him. "Only the best for my gorgeous man." he grinned. "You look incredible." he gushed, sitting back a moment and taking him all in.

"Thanks.... you clean up nice yourself." he smirked. He watched Thor's eyes dart over the lapel pin and then place his fingers on the lapel.

"This is pretty.... " he commented, "matches those emerald eyes." His hand came up to cup Loki's cheek and smoothed a thumb over his cheekbone.

Not wanting to give more attention to it, Loki changed the subject quickly. "How was your day? Still hectic?"

Thor sighed, relieved. "No... thankfully. Everything went smoothly. Tonight should be fun. I'm still looking forward to afterward more, though." he smiled and leaned in, waiting for another kiss, which was given easily by Loki.

 

 

 

Thor handed Loki a glass of champagne as soon as they arrived, taking one from the tray that was being presented to him for himself as well. There were many guests there already even though technically, it was still rather early. Thor checked his watch. It was 6:15 and they officially opened at 7:00. He began scanning the room for Dillon, who should be here by now. When he spotted him, he made eye contact and gave him a nod.

Thor spent the first half hour introducing Loki to co-workers and a few board members. Natasha, champagne glass in hand, joined them.

"You look ... radiant." Thor exclaimed when he saw her.

"Radiant? I'm not pregnant, Thor... let's save that particular compliment for ... never, okay?"

"Sorry... I meant..."

"Stunning." Loki filled in quickly.

"Yes, what he said." Thor grinned playfully.

She gave them both an eye roll. "Thanks." She ran a hand down Loki's lapel, "I'm loving this... it's ... green.. isn't it?" she said comparing it to Thor's black tux. "And this... nice touch Laufeyson." she winked, tapping her finger on the little emerald and gold pin.

"Thanks." he smiled.

"It _is_ lovely, isn't it." came a deep voice to Loki's right. "I love a man that isn't afraid to wear a statement piece." Alex held his glass up to Loki.

"Hey, Alex..." Thor turned towards him and patted the man's shoulder, "I want you to meet someone. This is Loki Laufeyson, my....."

"Oh, I know..." Alex cooed smoothly, taking Loki's hand in a soft way, offering a light shake before letting it slip away, "Loki and I know each other well."

Natasha raised a brow but Thor was speechless for a moment, "You do?" he looked at Loki and back at Alex.

Alex just smiled at Loki, giving a nod. "We do."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Loki broke the tension. "Yes... how are you, Alex? Nice to see you." he offered cooly, not wanting to sound curt but sociable. He'd prepared himself to possibly see Alex here tonight but it was still a bit of a shock to see him here, so close in proximity to Thor. His heart pounded in his chest.

"I ... didn't know you knew ..." Thor began, and sensed that not only have they met but seemed to know eachother more than just acquaintances. He looked back and forth between them feeling rather confused but amused.

"I own the building where Loki's bookstore is located." Alex chimed in casually, adding to Loki's immense relief.

"Ah... I see." Thor nodded and sipped his champagne.

Alex turned back to face Natasha and Loki, "Ms. Romonov... you look even more beautiful than usual." he nodded. "And I have to agree... " he began taking Loki's lapel gently between his fingers, "I've not seen you looking quite so elegant in some time, Loki."

Loki's face felt hot. He was sure he might be turning pink. "Thank you." he said softly, averting Alex's stare as he felt his fingers slip off his lapel. Oh gods, please don't do this, he thought. It wouldn't be unlike Alex to say something now to put him entirely at risk of Thor knowing about them and their past, though he was most grateful that he only admitted to their business relationship.

Thor didn't appear to be the least bit put off. He knew Alex and wasn't even surprised when he touched Loki's lapel. The man was charming and he'd often run into Thor in the museum or meeting rooms and adjusted his tie or plucked a blonde hair off of Thor's jacket.

 

The evening was going by smoothly.There were cameras everywhere it seemed and art bloggers and journalists taking notes and recording quotes when they spoke to Thor. Loki spotted Dillon a few times being photographed and interviewed but he'd yet to make his way over to Thor.

"May I get a photo, Mr. Odinson?" a young man with a large camera came up behind them.

"Sure.." Thor handed his champagne glass to Natasha and drew his arm around Loki's waist to pose with him.

"Thor.." Loki said, surprised, "I don't think he wants my photo..."

"I'm sure he does... your a work of art afterall." he murmured into his ear before turning and smiling for the camera. The photographer got a few shots when he spotted Alex.

"May I have your picture with the Director of the Exhibit?" the young photographer asked.

Alex smiled warmly. "Of course... " he cooed and posed on the opposite side of Loki, turning in towards him slightly. "... I'd be honored."

Loki wanted to just melt away. He wished he could just sink into the ground at this very moment. Photographic evidence of him between Thor and Alex.

After a few flashes went off before Loki rather aggressively pulled out of Thor's arm and slipped away to the side, letting the two men have a photo together. The photographer thanked them and Thor asked him to send him the photos of he and Loki to his office. The photographer nodded and

went on to the next people he needed photos of for his article. Thor resumed his position beside Loki as Alex gave him a soft squeeze of his shoulder and slipped his hand down his spine making Loki jump just a little not knowing where his hand might stop. Thor hadn't noticed anything and just took his champagne back from Natasha while Alex was distracted by another patron that was waiting to speak to him.

 

 Overall, the night was going well. Loki could honestly say he was truly enjoying himself. He was at Thor's side the entire time until he had to go up to the podium to speak and introduce the artist whose exhibit was opening tonight. There were cameras clicking and flashing for the first few minutes that Thor spoke. He called upon Dillon to come up to the podium when he introduced him, stepping off and applauding with the rest of the crowd as the artist took his place. Thor stood close to Loki as Dillon spoke, his arm gently wrapping around Loki's waist. Loki happily leaned into his warmth.

When Dillon finished and stepped down, he was rushed by photographers wanting to get his photo with Thor. "Sorry." Thor mouthed to Loki as he was pulled away and soon enveloped by people and photographers as he posed with Dillon. Loki stood just outside the crowd, taking another glass of champagne when a server offered it to him. It seemed Thor was getting drowned deeper in the crowd but Loki didn't mind. This was his job afterall. He didn't need to be attached at the hip to his boyfriend all night.

He felt a hand on the small of his back and Alex's voice in his ear. "I'm so happy you wore it, love." he said lowly.

Loki turned and stepped away from him a little to a more appropriate distance. "It's not what you think... it went with the tux." he added curtly.

Alex smiled. "It suits you." , gazing at Loki warmly. "You really do look incredible."

"Thank you." Loki nodded once and sipped his drink. He gave Alex a sideways glance, trying at the same time to keep his sight on Thor in the distance. "You look nice as well."

Alex grinned, putting his hand on Loki's shoulder, appearing casual but giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you , love." he murmured. He let a beat go by, then two. "I'd like to see you this weekend. Will you go to dinner with me?" he asked, rather confidently.

"I'm busy." Loki replied.

"Call me if you change your mind, magpie." he winked and smiled. He was about to walk away when he stopped, "I'm not going to give up." he reminded him. "I've too much to loose with you again. I'll wait as long as it takes." He leaned in to whisper in Loki's ear. "I still love you, Loki."

Loki stared straight ahead, his eyes fixed on where Thor was as Alex walked away. His heart pounded in his ears even with all the noise around him. He was flustered but refused to let it show as Thor made his way back towards him, Dillon in tow behind him. He gave his boyfriend a wide grin as he approached.

"Hey love.. sorry." Thor gushed, still smiling from whatever he'd been laughing about between he and Dillon as they made their way back through the crowd to Loki. "Do you need another drink? Something to eat?"

"No..." Loki said raising his glass, "I'm fine.  Hello, Dillon." he said, acknowledging the man comimg up behind Thor.

"Hey Loki... nice to see you again." he grinned, taking Loki's hand and shaking it. "Thank you for coming."

"Oh, thank you for the night's entertainment, and congratulations. I"ve not been to an opening quite so grand as this." he offered politely.

 

With pleasantries exchanged, Dillon excused himself. Loki didn't miss the way he touched Thor's forearm as he spoke to him. "I have something I'd like to take care of before they open the exhibit... just want to check on something." he said, giving Thor a tap on the shoulder. Thor nodded and made eye contact. "Hey... Loki... I hope to see you again soon. We should all have dinner sometime."

"Sounds lovely. I look forward to it." Loki smiled, inwardly cursing him. There was something about him he just couldn't stand.

 

Loki had Thor all to himself for all of three minutes.

"So... I didn't know you knew Alex. Small world." Thor said, turning into face Loki and staying close.

Oh great. He would have to chose this to talk about. "Yes.. um... about that.." he began, "can I talk to you about that later?" he said softly, leaning into Thor a little more.

Thor's smile dropped and his hand came up to Loki's arm, "Sure... is there anything wrong?"

"No... it's just..."

"Thor..." one of the museum employees grabbed him by the arm and interrupted them, "the artist needs your help with something."

"Where is he?" he asked, still holding Loki''s arm.

The employee pointed towards the staircase that lead up to the second floor. "Near the stairs..."

"Okay.. I'll be right there." Thor replied, turning to Loki, "I'm sorry hun... give me a sec, okay?"

"Sure... " Loki nodded, "... I'll be here." he smiled and raised his glass slightly.

 

 

Thor disappeared into the crowd soon enough and Loki was standing near the large plate glass windows that looked out onto the city's lights. It was beautiful and because the museum was so well lit, he could see the entire room's reflection in the window. He scanned it quickly for Alex, not seeing him anywhere, but Natasha was talking to two older men in suits that she seemed entirely bored with. Her body language was saying that she was trying to escape. Perhaps Loki should go try to bail her out. He didn't want to appear to be staring at his own reflection, though he had to admit, he looked damn good tonight, so he kept turning his head slightly to see more of the room behind him, casually sipping his wine.

Some smaller groups of individuals parted, leaving a pocket of space where he spotted Thor, his back to him, talking to Dillon, whose face Loki could see if only just barely as people walked back and forth between their images. Thor quickly looked over his shoulder back to where Loki had been standing where he left him, and then it looked as though he placed his hand on Dillon's arm and the two walked off out of Loki's sight behind a staircase. He knew that behind the staircase was the elevator and the entrance to the café, which was currently closed, leaving only the elevator to be their destination.

Loki turned around to face the area where he'd just seen his boyfriend and Dillon leave from hoping they'd appear again a second later but they did not. He was startled by a hand on his back.

"It isn't as though I hadn't warned you, magpie." Alex said softly over his shoulder. "But I have to admit.. very bold of him to do something _here_.. _now_."

"What?" Loki spun around, eyes wide. "It's nothing... please." he waved his hand. "He's at work.. this is his work. Obviously something needs to be addressed." he tried to make excuses though his own mind was right exactly where Alex's was. Where had Thor gone and why did they look like they were sneaking away?

"Or undressed." Alex replied. "Come on.. I'll get you a drink, love."

"No... I... " he looked at Alex then back at where Thor had disappeared from expecting him to appear any second, "...I don't need a drink."

 

Natasha was suddenly right before them and rolling her eyes. "Oh my god.. I couldn't get away from those idiots... " she began to complain.

"Tash.. darling.. do you know where Thor is?" Alex asked her.

She looked around the room, "Um.. not really, why?"

"Would there be any reason for he and Dillon to go upstairs?" Loki blurted out, a little more desperate than he intended to sound.

"Not that I know of..." she looked back towards the elevator, "why , did they go up?"

"It appeared so..." Alex commented, "though I'm sure it's only for a moment." he was secretly caressing his thumb over the small of Loki's back, partly to sooth his nerves.

"I'd message him but... " she gestured to her tight dress, "I have no place for a phone. Do you need him? I could take you up..."

"No.." Loki shook his head....

"I'll take him up, dear... enjoy the party." Alex suggested.

"No... " Loki insisted, "I'm sure he'll be right down.. I'm sure he's busy ... it's nothing important."

Natasha looked at him, finding him to be quite unsettled for such a cool, calm demeanor that he usually had and her eyes darted over him and then Alex. "Is everything okay?" she asked, furrowing her brow, now noticing that Alex's hand was on Loki's back. Loki's hands were shaking.

"He's fine... I think we should just get some air, yes?" Alex suggested, pressing his palm to Loki's back, but Loki refused to move.

"I'm fine." he turned to glare at Alex, "Stop.... please." he hissed.

"Oh.. there they are." Natasha said suddenly, pointing with her chin over to where Thor and Dillon had previously been standing.

 

Thor was putting his jacket back on.

Dillon was smoothing his shirt down.

They were both smiling, sheepishly.

 

Thor looked over and right away made eye contact with Loki. Pursing his lips, he nodded to him and gave him a slight smile before he and Dillon parted ways and Thor came towards them.

"Everything alright?" he asked as he came upon the threesome. Loki and Alex were looking basically glaring poison darts through their eyes at him, whereas Natasha looked completely unaffected, he couldn't even begin to get a read on what they were thinking or talking about.

"Yeah, " Natasha said quickly, "Just about to send a search party for you. What's up?"

"Oh, " he laughed it off, "that damn piece in the corner of the room... it was doing that same thing as the other day. Didn't Sam fix that?"

"Yeah, he said he did..."

"Dillon and I just had to readjust it... damn thing's heavy." he gushed, looking down at his trousers and brushing them quickly. He turned his attention to Loki and Alex and why were they so close. He put his hand on Loki's cuff and took his hand, narrowing his eyes and looking into his, "Everything okay, love?" His brows came to knit together in concern seeing as how Loki seemed troubled.

Alex took a step back, Loki immediately realizing how close he'd been feeling the loss of the heat of his body against his back.

"I need some air." Loki said flatly.

"Okay..." Thor said with some uncertainty, "do you want to go outside or..."

Just then, the announcement was made that the exhibit was open and the main doors to the next room opened up, the lights going up and simultaneously dimming in the room in which they stood in. The room full of figures moved towards the opening rooms and thinned out immediately. Natasha turned and slowly started making her way towards that room too, as did Alex, giving Loki one last apologetic look over his shoulder before taking Natasha's arm and walking away with her.

Thor laced his fingers with Loki's and squeezed them. "Okay? Come on..." he said, moving them towards the exit. They stepped out into the lobby which lead out to the next set of doors to a terrace. Timing being what it was, everyone that had been there went inside to witness the exhibit and they were alone on the terrace. Loki pulled his hand from Thor's and placed both hands on the railing, looking out over the city and inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly.

Thor came to stand beside him, facing him. He put his hand back on top of Loki's hand, "Honey? What happened?"

"Where were you?" Loki asked, his voice deep and soft, not tearing his eyes away from a point where he stared in the distance. A light atop a tower. Just something that he could focus on.

"When? When I left you for five minutes?" he asked, sounding slightly irritated. He loved Loki but this was getting tedious. Every move he made that didn't gel with Loki's insecurities were constantly under scrutiny.

"It was more than five minutes and .... " Loki turned to look at him, his eye lids fluttering as he blinked away the moisture welling within them, "... when you came back .. you were... getting _dressed_. What were you doing back there with _him_?"

Thor's brows shot up in surprise. He didn't know if he should be shocked, amused or offended. "Back _there_? with _him_? Loki, I was _working_!" he insisted, his voice raising a bit more than necessary for their close proximity. "We had to put a major piece back in place and I took my jacket off because it's a little difficult to lift heavy objects in this suit!" he said. He was annoyed that he even had to explain himself about this. Did Loki's faith in him, in his love for him really mean so little that Loki would accuse him of grabbing a quickie in the middle of a major event with Loki right there with him?

"I saw the way he looked at you.... the way you both looked when you came back..." Loki replied desperately. Now that Thor made perfect sense of the situation, he felt like he was losing any logic in the situation that he might have had.

"Loki!" Thor gaped at him and backed away a bit. "Are you fucking serious?"

Loki grew more anxious. They'd had some slight disagreements, there had been some tension between them before over things like this but not to this degree. He'd not seen Thor so angry as this before.

"What have I done?" Thor growled lowly, "Have I lied to you? Have I ever given you any reason to doubt me? How can you accuse me of... if I was going to cheat on you, would I do it here... with you with me? Don't you think I've had ample opportunity to fuck around if I wanted to?"

"YES!" Loki shot back, "Yes, you have had chance.. and how do I know you haven't? What about Nigel?" he remarked sharply.

"What _about_ him?" Thor shot back.

"When we were in London.. did you _fuck_ him? You told me he was just  a _friend_... you didn't happen to mention that you used to _fuck_ him!"

Thor backed away another step, mouth agape. "WHAT?" he snapped. "Nigel _IS_ a friend... where the fuck are you getting this from?"

"Yeah.. the kind of friend you have in every city.. every place you go, _right_?"

"Loki... we've been _through_ this... over and _over_. I've told you ... yeah, I have a past of sleeping around.. but that all stopped when I met _you!_ How can I prove that? Tell me... _how_?"

 "You _can't_! How can I _trust_ you?" he snapped back.

"Because I _say_ you can!" Thor growled. "Because I've said I _love_ you... because I've said I want _only_ you! Is that not good enough?"

Loki looked away, a tear escaping and rolling down his cheek. He wiped it away angrily.

 "Your answer is loud and clear." Thor frowned.

"I'm just supposed to believe you?" Loki finally said, "I'm just supposed to believe that you have a different lover in every city, and dozens here... and you meet me and that just all goes away? You see me on your train and you just forget about everyone else?"

"Yeah.. something like that." Thor snapped. "Loki.. I can't keep justifying myself to you because of your insecurities. I can't keep paying the debt of what someone else did to you. How long do I have to do that?"

 

 

Alex stood inside, far enough away that he wouldn't be spotted but watched from a distance as Thor and Loki argued. He couldn't hear them but he could tell by their body language and distance from one another that they were having a heated discussion. He smiled to himself. He didn't think it would be quite this easy to tear them apart but apparently Loki's self-doubt was stronger than he'd thought.

 

 

"I want to go home." Loki said, turning to walk back inside. Thor caught him by the arm and gently held him here.

"Loki... "

"No.. I want to go... please. I'll get a cab." Loki said pulling his arm away.

Thor sighed and followed him back inside. Alex had already turned his back and was moving towards the main doors himself. He got there just as Loki did and turned to see him.

"Loki... leaving us so soon?" he asked, looking back in Thor's direction but opening the door for Loki.

"I'm not feeling well... I'm going home." he muttered as he passed him and out the doors to the street.

Alex furrowed his brow and let Loki pass. He turned back to Thor and gave an empathetic shrug.

 

Thor angrily loosened his bowtie and whipped of off, then unbuttoning his shirt as he got on the elevator and went up to his office. What the hell was he supposed to say to Loki to take away all his pain? His distrust. He'd been completely faithful to Loki ever since their first date. Something Loki said sprang to mind... Nigel.... why the hell did he get it into his head that Nigel was an ex lover? He'd never been with him, never even entered his mind. He thought back on their trip to London and tried to recall if he'd done or said something to make Loki think otherwise.

He opened a bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a bottle of whiskey that he kept there for taking the edge off after a lengthy board meeting. He poured himself a glass and downed it.

Loki was the first person he'd ever felt so strongly about. He wasn't lying when he told Loki he might be _the one_. He should have told him more recently that he was _the one_. He wanted to be with him, and he couldn't imagine a life without him. He hadn't had any desire to be with anyone else and could see himself settling down with Loki, marrying him. As soon as he could get Loki to the point where he'd spend the weekend more often, he was going to suggest he move in with him. He felt that if he could get him that far, then he could propose.

He had another drink then fished his phone from his jacket pocket. He called Loki but it went right to voice mail. He'd shut his phone off.

"Loki... please call me when you get this. Let me know you're home safe. " he paused. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry I raised my voice. I'm sorry we fought. I ... I never want to do that again with you. It feels awful... I feel awful. Sweetie, I love you. I swear I haven't been with anyone else. Just...please, believe me... please call me."

He sighed and placed his phone on the desk before him. Perhaps giving Loki the night to clear his head, things would be better by morning.

 

 

 

 Loki carefully hung his rented tux up in the hall closet, Sasha purring and meowing and lacing herself between his legs as he moved throughout the apartment getting changed into pajamas. He placed the tie tack in it's box and put it away in a drawer next to the bed. He put his phone on the nightstand and looked at it for a moment deciding whether or not to turn it back on. What if Thor was so angry with him he hadn't called or messaged him? Not knowing was better than finding out that he hadn't right now. He sat down on the bed and Sasha pounced up on his lap and began rubbing himself on him.

Had he just destroyed a relationship with a very sweet and genuine man? The truth was, he really couldn't tell. What if Thor was telling the truth? Then he probably just drove him away. But, if he was lying, better he find out now than later, right?

 

 

Alex left right after Thor went up to his office. He text Loki in hopes of catching him before he made it all the way home.

 

_**Baby, I'm sorry.** _

_**It's not like I wanted it** _

_**to be true. I don't want** _

_**to see you hurt.** _

 

**_Are you okay?_ **

 

**_I'm going to come over_ **

**_to your place if you_ **

**_don't message me back._ **

 

 

Twenty minutes after Loki got home, there was a soft knock at his door. A sense of relief washed over him knowing that Thor came for him. He checked himself in the mirror in the hall before going to the door in his tshirt and pajama pants.

"Alex." he whispered.

"I messaged you. I wanted to be sure you got home safe."

"I turned my phone off."

He stood there a moment surveying Loki's emotions, written so clearly on his face.

"You were expecting Thor?"

Loki frowned even more and just backed away from the door. "I suppose you're here to gloat." he said, moving to let Alex inside.

"Never baby, " he said coming inside, shutting and locking the door. "I don't want to see you hurt. I did enough damage and I can't stand to see someone else put you through it again."

Loki slumped on to the sofa. Alex went into the kitchen and opened the cupboard, taking out two glasses and finding a bottle of wine on the counter. He joined Loki on the sofa and poured two glasses.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	25. Boundaries Crossed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ugh.. that last chapter was heart-wrenching. Sorry.  
> No promises that this one won't hurt just as much.

 

Once Loki fell asleep, or cried himself to sleep, on the sofa, his head resting on Alex's lap, the man gently pulled away and covered him with a throw blanket. Sasha meowed at him, unfamiliar with the strange man being in his home and near his parent. "Shh..get!." he hissed at the cat and took his shoes off and padded into the bedroom. Finding Loki's phone, he turned it on. He was fairly certain that Thor might have tried to contact him. Once it was on, he checked the voicemail from Thor and deleted it as well as deleting the call that came through. He left his own texts untouched so that they looked new on Loki's phone when he saw it. He muted the ringer and left it on in his pocket in case Thor tried to call or text him again and returned to the sofa.

Loki stirred a bit. "What time is it?" he mumbled.

"Sleep. Go back to sleep baby." Alex cooed, pulling Loki back onto his lap and carding his fingers gently through his hair to soothe him back to sleep. "Daddy's here... just relax magpie." he said softly.

 

 

Thor never heard back from Loki. He left the museum as soon as he could get away, around 11pm, declining all invitations to go out afterward. Natasha was concerned but Thor was a big boy. Whatever was going on, he'd figure it out, she was certain.

First, Thor went home, changed into more comfortable clothes, hoping that maybe Loki might be there. He tried calling a few more times but found that Loki never turned his phone on. He decided that he needed to go to his apartment and make sure he was okay. On the way there in the cab, he tried to call once more, relieved when the phone actually rang instead of going to right to voicemail. After five rings, he sighed and wiped a hand over his face.

_Hi, it's me, leave a message._

"Loki... honey, I'm getting worried. Please call me when you get this message. I'm on my way over. We need to talk, okay? Maybe not tonight but ... okay, I'll see you hopefully in a few minutes. I'm in a cab on my way there."

Weekend traffic meant that he didn't get to Loki's for another twelve minutes. He sprinted up the steps of his building and to his floor, holding Loki's key tightly in his palm.

 

 

 

 Once Loki fell asleep again, Alex took his phone from his pocket and checked it. Thor had called again, so again, he deleted the call and the message without listening to it. He tucked it back into his trousers and slid away from Loki once again to use the bathroom. It was because he flushed the toilet that he hadn't heard Thor knock and unlock Loki's door. While in the bathroom, he freshened up and partially undressed, taking his tux jacket and tie off, loosening his shirt and cuffs. Taking Loki's phone from his pocket, he turned it off and set it on the edge of the sink.

 

 

 

Thor knocked softly on Loki's door, "Loki?" he said softly, not wanting to disturb his neighbors. He let himself in with his key and quickly found Loki sleeping on the sofa. He knelt down beside him and touched his hand ever so gently to Loki's shoulder. "Sweetheart." he whispered, relieved that he was here.

Loki's eyes opened slowly, "Thor!" he breathed, suddenly much more awake and eyes darting around the room. "What are you doing here? Where's... "

 

"Thor!" Alex's voice came from behind Thor, who still kneeled on the floor beside the sofa.

He shot up to his feet and turned, startled, "Alex? What are you doing here?"

Loki sat up a little, wide eyed at what was transpiring in his tiny apartment.

"I'm here for Loki..." Alex replied coolly, "..clearly he was upset and needs to be comforted."

"By _you_?" Thor remarked and looked down at Loki briefly, confused, "This is a private matter between us, Alex. I don't see why you'd be involved."

"Why don't you ask Loki about that." Alex remarked rather sharply.

Thor looked at Loki with furrowed brow. "Loki? What's going on? I need to talk to you ... in private."

Loki palmed his face and moaned. "Thorrrrr...." he whined, "I can't do this now... please. Alex.. please don't." he pleaded, hiding his face in his hands.

"Please don't what?" Thor repeated and looked back at Alex.

"I think what Loki is trying to say is that he's had enough of your indecisiveness and indiscreet relationships, for lack of a better word." Alex commented, taking a step towards Loki.

"No.. Alex.." Loki remarked.

"Alex.. I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I don't know what's going on here but ..."

"What's going on here, Thor, is that Loki needs a man. He needs and _adult_. Someone that puts him first and can take care of him emotionally."

"No,... it's not _like_ that Alex..." Loki chimed in, slapping his hands to his knees.

Thor looked back and forth between them for a second. "Loki... tell me what's going on."

"Go on, love... you may as well... " Alex began, "... if you don't tell him, I will."

"Tell me _what_?" Thor growled.

"While you were bedding countless people from L.A. to London, and everywhere in between, Loki was with _me_." Alex hissed. "It was _I_ that took care of him and _loved_ him and was _there_ for him... and I _fully_ intend to be again."

 

Thor's brows knit together and his mouth gaped as he stared down at Loki. " _What_? Loki... is this true?" he worried, his hands at his sides, fingers twitching.

Loki's face was in his hands, elbows on his knees as he leaned forward and just nodded mutely. "Yes," he said weakly, "Thor.. it was a long time ago."

"WHAT?" Thor bellowed and Loki jumped, raising his face from his hands, wide eyed and startled by Thor's reaction.

"It's alright, love..." Alex moved to get closer to Loki.

Thor blocked him with a hand to his chest, shoving him back abruptly. "Don't .. don't you fucking go near him." he growled.

"Thor!" Loki gasped. "Stop it." finally getting to his feet to stand between him and Alex. The older man reached for his hand and drew him closer.

Thor lost it when he saw Alex touch him with such familiarity. Grabbing the man's arm, he wrenched it from Loki's hand and drew back a fist to hit him.

"THOR, STOP!" Loki yelled but a second later Thor's fist was meeting Alex's face, tossing the man back into the wall, Loki ducked, barely escaping the blow himself.

Alex recovered quickly, rubbing his jaw and pointed at Thor. "You're done... I'll fucking sue your ass off, you fucking..."

"STOP IT!" Loki howled, "Both of you.. STOP... please!" he brought his hands up to his head and held it, spinning around and rushing a few steps towards the kitchen. "I can't stand this anymore... I want you to both leave.. just get out!" he yelled.

Thor was gritting his teeth and glaring at the man he'd just punched, Alex rubbed his jaw with one hand and eyes darted back and forth between him and Loki.

Loki leaned over the counter in the kitchen and held his face in his hands, "Please.. just go." he sobbed. Standing upright again, he turned and rushed between both men and into the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it.

 

Alex was first to move, carefully going past Thor and watching him as he picked up his shoes and backed out towards the door. "You're finished, Odinson. I"ll have you fired for this." he growled and made his leave.

Thor glared at him til he left, then looking down at his hand that had just hit the man, he shook it off and took a deep breath. Shit. What had he just done? He just came unhinged when he saw him grab for Loki. He shook his head and looked around the room, unbelieving of what had just transpired. How? How could Loki have been with Alex?

 

He knocked softly on the door to the bathroom. "Loki?" he said in a hoarse voice.

"Just .. _go_.. Thor." Loki growled from behind the door.

"Sweetheart, please... please tell me what's going on." Thor pleaded desperately. How was this happening? He loved Loki. He wanted to be with Loki. He wanted to marry him... how did this happen so quickly?

"I want to be alone. I need to be alone,... please." Loki answered weakly, unable to argue or fight anymore. His head and heart were being pulled in two very opposite directions.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	26. Jealousy

 

Saturday and Sunday afternoon went by with no contact from Loki. Thor texted, opting not to call though he desperately wanted to , allowing Loki some space. His texts went unanswered until late Sunday.

 

_**I'm so sorry for loosing my temper** _

_**last night. I just couldn't bear the** _

_**thought of him with you. I know** _

_**I acted like a jealous idiot. Please** _

_**forgive me.** _

 

 

**_I honestly have no idea what I did_ **

**_to upset you. I've been entirely_ **

**_faithful to you since the day we met._ **

**_I give you my word. I need you to_ **

**_trust me on this. I want you. I ONLY_**

_**ever want YOU.** _

 

 

**_I understand if you need space._ **

**_Just please tell me this isn't over._ **

**_I love you, so much._**

 

 

Little did Thor know, how could he, that his words now, his apologies and affectations were identical to the one's that Alex would give him after cheating on him. He'd learned during that time with Alex that actions spoke louder than words. In Loki's mind, Thor was doing nothing more now than saying sweet things to get him back, just like Alex used to do. What hurt even more was that after their fight, Thor hadn't even reached out to him. He didn't text him or call him. This he realized late Friday night after Thor left and Loki found his phone in the bathroom. He hadn't given it  much thought as to how it got there. He was so distraught when he got home he thought he might have taken it from his pocket and set it there without realizing it.

When he finally checked it, he saw that there wasn't any word from Thor at all, just Alex. Sure, Thor showed up, after the fact. After Alex had calmed him down and after he supposed Thor had had his fun at the party.

 

 

Alex was no stranger to trying to get in touch with Loki during the weekend either. He texted and called though Loki wouldn't answer.

 

_**That boyfriend of yours** _

_**is a brute. I fully intend** _

_**to have him fired or sued** _

_**for that behavior.** _

 

 

_**Baby, how are you?** _

_**I meant it when I said you** _

_**can come to the house for** _

_**the weekend. I can pick you** _

_**up.** _

 

When his texts went unanswered, he left  a message:

 _"Magpie, it's daddy.... call me sweetheart. I really think it would be a good idea if you get out of the city for the weekend. Call me and I'll come get you. The pool is open."_ the smiled evident in his words, as well as his intention. _"Listen, you need someone that can care for you better than that brute. I hope he's never raised a hand to you or I'll have his fucking head on a platter. Call me back. I'm here for you love."_

 

Loki laid in bed with Sasha at his feet purring happily as he licked his paws clean after eating. "Kitty..." he murmured, peeking out from under the comforter at him, "come here... " he said patting the space at his side. The cat lifted itself and slunk over to him and curled up beside Loki's hip. He was comforted by the cat's affection and closeness but his heart was aching.

Finally checking Alex's voice message, he rolled his eyes. He didn't want to contact him but he felt it absolutely necessary to inform him that Thor wasn't violent... at least never with him.

 

_Just so you know, he's never hurt_

_me in any way. Don't be ridiculous._

 

_And please don't sue him. You had_

_that coming. You shouldn't have_

_told him anything. I wanted to_

_explain things to him myself._

 

 

**_Come with me for the weekend._ **

_**We can start new and fresh.** _

 

_I need time. I need some space_

_from both of you. Please._

 

**_Fine. But you know I'm better_ **

**_for you. I can give you everything_ **

**_you want. I adore you.. you know_ **

**_that. I know you still love me, Loki._ **

 

_I never said that._

 

**_You didnt' have to. I saw it in your_ **

_**eyes last night.** _

 

_Just let me be alone for a few days_

_Please._

 

**_As you wish,Love you, magpie. xoxo_ **

 

 

 

 

 As for Thor, Loki had to consider what to say a long time before answering him. Yes, he loved him, but he loved him so much that the fall he would most certainly take would be all the harder when Thor went back to his old ways. Alex would hurt him in other ways but he wasn't afraid of that as much as he was with what Thor could do to him.

He didn't text him back until Sunday afternoon.

 

_I'm sorry you found out about him_

_the way that you did. I wanted to_

_tell you myself. I haven't been_

_unfaithful to you. I've only just_

_been talking to him._

 

Thor was in the middle of a vigorous work out to distract himself when Loki texted. He'd kept his phone near him and volume high all weekend so he wouldn't miss anything from him. He'd planned on spending a long, lazy weekend with Loki, having breakfast together, going to  the park or movies maybe, and of course lots of staying in bed late. This wasn't at all how he'd expected to spend the weekend. He was nervous and sad and hurting so badly. He stopped midway through a set of lifting weights when he heard his phone.

 

 

_**It's not that. I wasn't worried** _

_**that you were unfaithful.** _

_**Can we talk?** _

 

Loki waited a good ten minutes before answering. He wanted to talk but couldn't put a word to the way he was feeling.

 

_Yes, call me._

 

 

He no sooner sent the text but the his phone rang.

 

"Hi." he murmured.

 

"Hi." Thor replied. "Are you okay?"

 

"I'm fine.... I don't know."

 

Thor swallowed hard. He paused a moment. He could hear Loki's breath and felt such an urge to just hold him.

 

"I'm sorry." Thor offered.

 

"Why? Why are _you_ sorry?"

 

"For hitting him... for arguing with you... for getting angry."

 

"You're allowed to get angry, Thor."

 

"I know but... I wish I hadn't."

 

There was another awkward pause.

 

"Did you enjoy the party?" Loki finally said, a little curtly.

 

"No. I didn't. I went to my office and waited it out til I could leave. I was hoping to find you at my apartment."

 

Loki huffed. "I was angry."

 

"I know. I'm sorry. I ...."

 

"You didn't even call to find out if I was there or if I was home..."

 

Thor furrowed his brows. "I did. I texted you right after you left. I called. Your phone went right to voice mail."

 

"I didnt' have any messages from you when I turned my phone on later."

 

"Loki, I swear I texted and called you." THor insisted.

 

Loki sighed. Maybe something happened, a glitch or something in the phone that they didn't come through.

 

Another long pause.

 

"Can I see you?" Thor asked quietly.

 

"Not now. I need to figure things out." he said.

 

"Are you ... breaking up with me?" Thor asked worriedly. He hardly thought that one argument was something to break up over so there must be more that Loki needed to think about. Something more going on with Alex.

 

"No.. I just want to take some time to ..... think."

 

Thor swallowed and realized his eyes were filling up with moisture.  There was an even longer pause where neither of them said anything but listened to eachother's presence on the other end of the phone.

 

 

"Do you really love me?" Thor finally asked.

 

"Yes." Loki answered easily.

 

"Do you love him?"

 

Thor took Loki's answer as yes when he didn't answer at all.

It wasn't that Loki did love Alex but how could he explain his feelings for him to Thor? He loved him once. Alex swore he loved him too and then .... just left him. Just like that. Loki wasn't able to process it.

 

"Okay..." Thor said, clearing his throat, "so I guess ... "

 

"Thor..." Loki stopped him, "it's .... hard to explain."

 

"Yeah, I know. It's okay... just... will I see you tomorrow? On the train?" he asked trying to sound like his heart wasn't breaking into pieces at that very moment. How could Loki love that guy? Alex? Really? Thor was friendly enough with him since he was on the Board at the museum but he wasn't exactly friends with the guy. He'd always considered him to be a little arrogant and off putting.

 

"I don't know." Loki replied. "I might not go in til later tomorrow. It's Monday. it's always slow ... I might just stay closed til Darcy goes in at noon."

 

"Okay." Thor said sadly. "Will you ..... will you at least call me or... something?"

"Yes, I will. Just give me some time, okay?"

"Sure... whatever you need, Loki. Just... remember that I love you, okay?"

"I will.. I love you too, Thor. I do."

 

 

 

 

 Monday went by with no word from Loki. Thor was at work and noticeably distraught. Natasha didn't know what to do with him.

Alex sent flowers to Loki's shop, which were intercepted by Darcy. Taking a photo of them, she texted Loki at home.

 

_Still sulking?_

_Look what came here just now._

_ _

 

 

Loki frowned, knowing who they were from.

 

**_Is there a card?_ **

 

Darcy assumed they were from Thor so she was confused as to why Loki would ask but she looked anyway, furrowing her brow when she read the message.

 

_OMG are you see Silver Fox?_

_HOw could you cheat on Thor????_

_WTF are you doing?_

 

_**NO.** _

_**What does it say.** _

 

_To brighten your day, magpie._

_Love, A._

 

_:( How could you?_

__

_**I'm not. Take them home** _

_**if you want to. I don't** _

_**want them.** _

 

 

 

Tuesday, Loki went to work to find that Darcy had in fact left the flowers in his office. He could smell them the moment he walked in the shop. He put them in the bathroom so he wouldn't have to see them except when he had to piss. He thanked ALex for them when he called to ask if he got them but was otherwise curt to him.

He missed Thor. He wanted to distance himself from both of them but Alex was making it impossible and Loki's strong feelings for Thor were making it impossible for him to not want to be with him. At lunch, he finally gave in and messaged him.

 

_Can we get dinner tonight?_

 

**_Absolutely. :) I'll pick you up at the shop?_ **

 

_No, I'll meet you at Alfredos?_

 

**_I'll be there at 5:30. :)_ **

**_Looking forward to seeing you. <3_ **

 

Loki got to the restaurant at 5:45. Thor hadn't minded the wait at all and ordered them wine. He stood up from the table to greet Loki, kissing him hesitantly on the cheek. Loki allowed it.

"Hi.."

"Hi... how was your day?" Thor began.

"Okay. Yours?"

Thor huffed, "Ah.. long... very long meeting. Boring."

"Ah."

THor reached across and took Loki's hand. "I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"Are we okay?"

Loki pursed his lips and nodded just a bit. "I think so. I'm just... so confused right now."

"About what? Talk to me. Maybe I can help sort it out with you."

"You can't."

Thor sighed. "I can try. I need to try. I feel like.... like I might lose you."

Loki shook his head. "I'm here aren't I?" he smirked a little.

Thor smiled warmly, the flashed that smile that Loki had so much trouble resisting. "And I love that you're here."

There was a pause and Thor's smiled faded when Loki frowned.

"Am I pushing?" Thor asked finally.

"No.. you're fine. It's not that."

 

 

Over dinner, Loki managed to tell Thor about his relationship with Alex... at least most of it. Thor was irritated by the entire thing but didn't let it show. Loki had a right to a past just as much as he did, and in retrospect, Thor's past was much more immodest than Loki's was. By the end of dinner, they'd agreed to slow things down a bit, much to Thor's dismay. All of a week ago he was considering proposal. Now he had to reign in all those feelings.

 

On Thursday there was a major board meeting wherein Alex made good on his threats. He was a powerful man and though he didn't have the power to fire Thor, for there were no grounds to do so, but he could make his life much more difficult and maybe even remove him from the picture almost entirely.

 

 


	27. Endings and New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, things will get worse before they get better. At least you already know that they broke up at some point but, here's how it happened.

 

Okay. There were two ways to look at this.

Either he'd lose Loki forever or he'd take him away from Alex and live happily every after...… _in London._

 

 

Thor couldn't argue the Board's decision. He's actually been vying for this position for two years. He'd all but forgotten about it when he met Loki. Now, thanks to Alex's pushing the matter and pulling some strings, it was going to happen. The Museum was sending Thor to the National Museum in London to take a position as Lead Director of Curators. It was an honor, it was a position filled with prestige and frankly, a huge salary.

It also could potentially make him single again.

He was left little choice. Either take the position or step down. His position here in New York was being filled by , _surprise_ , a good friend of Alex's. Politics was alive and well in the Museum world. Alex's pompous smirk didn't escape Thor's notice as they left the meeting room.

 

He'd not heard from Loki since seeing him on the train that morning. Thankfully, they were still together but there was tension. Things weren't the same. They hadn't had lunch together all week, their last dinner having been Tuesday night and Loki hadn't given Thor any indication that he'd stay over night any time soon. He'd hoped to invite him this weekend and really hoped he'd accept. He had big news to share with him and it left him feeling nervous. If Loki wouldn't accept coming with him to London, could they carry on a long distance relationship? He didn't see how with Alex in the picture now.

His long awaited promotion couldn't come at a more inconvenient time.

 

Thor was still giving Loki his space so he tended to wait for Loki to message him. Thursday night he still hadn't heard from him by 8:00. Thor decided that this was important enough to initiate contact.

 

**_Are you busy?_ **

**_I need to talk if it's okay._ **

 

Loki had done an hour of Yoga to relax, took a shower, ate and was about to try to distract himself a little longer by watching mindless television. He had just clicked on a reality show full of pretentious housewives and their entitled brats that reminded him of Alex's kids when Thor's text message came through.

 

_Not busy. Want to call?_

 

No sooner did he receive the message back did Thor call him.

 

"Hi sweetie. How are you?"

 

"Okay... just settling down with Sasha for the night. How are you?"

 

"Mm, I'm okay. I have something I need to talk to you about but... I was hoping to do it in person."

 

"Um.. okay? Can it wait til morning?"

 

Thor sighed softly. "Not really. I mean.. it could but it's not a discussion I want to have in public."

 

"Alright.. you're scaring me a little." Loki admitted.

  
"No.. no, it's nothing bad. It's just that... " he huffed through his nose. There was no way to not talk about this now. It was getting too built up. "... I got a promotion at the Museum."

 

Loki smiled. "That's great! Isn't it?"

 

"Normally, yes... but... Alex was the one to really push for it." he added.

 

Loki was surprised but pleased that at least Alex was forgiving enough to not hold a grudge when it came to work. "Why do you sound like that's a bad thing?"

 

"Because the position is in London."

 

Loki went quiet for a moment. "Oh. ... For how long?"

 

"Indefinitely."

 

"You'd be moving there?"

 

"Yes." Thor answered.

 

"Oh."

 

There was what seemed like a long period of silence between them. Neither knowing what to say, Loki not even knowing how to feel about this.

 

"Maybe... I should come over." Loki finally said, softly.

 

Thor sat up a little, brightening. "I'd really like that.. but... why don't you stay there. You're all cozy with Sasha.. I'll come over there. I'll bring Ben & Jerry's..." he smiled.

 

"Okay... Chocolate Peppermint?"

 

 

THor was there within the hour, ice cream in hand. "I got Cheescake Brownie too..." he said planting a kiss on Loki's cheek.

"Oh, for that you get this." Loki said smiling and instead gave Thor a much more intimate kiss, on the lips. Thor was grinning from ear to ear. This was going well already.

 

They settled down on the sofa, spoons and containers in hand, Loki sitting with one leg up under him and facing Thor. They were a few spoonfuls deep when the topic was finally brought up again.

"So... it's definite?" Loki asked first.

"Yes." Thor nodded and let Loki absorb the meaning of it. He wouldn't push. He's simply convey his wishes and hope that Loki would accept.

"When are you supposed to go?"

"Three weeks from Monday. They have a place for me to stay should I want it. It's the old director's flat. It's nice. Big for a flat... but I might look into a house when I get settled in."

Loki just nodded and ate another spoonful from his container.

 

"So... Alex pushed for it you said.. "

"Yeah.. he did." hoping that Loki understood why.

"Did he say anything to you?"

"Nope. Just shot me a _look_ on his way out." Smug fucking asshole.

"A _look_?"

Thor took a breath and released it. "He wants me gone, Loki." he admitted softly.

Loki couldn't deny that's exactly what Alex was up to.

 

Thor let some time pass while they just ate their ice cream quietly. When he could no longer stand the silence, he just flat out said it.

 

"I want you to come with me. I mean...I'd like very much if you'd come with me."

Loki raised his brows. "Move there?"

Thor nodded and smiled shyly. "Yes."

"What about my business? My apartment? My cat? I have my life here, Thor.."

"You can keep your business here... and start another there. I can help you with that. Sublet your apartment, I'm sure Darcy would love to have it. Bring Sasha with us... of course."

"I can't just... _leave_."

"It's not like you can't come back. We'll come back a few times a year, at the very least."

"I can't... Thor.. I just.... I can't."

Can't, or won't? Thor's heart sank. Just what kind of a hold did Alex have over Loki anyway?

"Why? Because of _him?"_   Thor asked, sounding a little more hostile than he'd intended.

Loki leaned forward and put his half full ice cream container on the coffee table. "NO.. not because of _him._ Because I have a life _here_. What am I supposed to do , go follow my boyfriend around the world?"

Thor stilled a moment then putting his ice cream down and sitting up a little. He almost opened his mouth to say, _"husband... would you follow your husband around the world?"_ but he didn't say that,  "You make it sound like.... a _bad thing_. I'm asking you to come with me because.... I _love_ you, and I want to be with you. I'm not trying to control you or force you into something you don't want.... but... what the hell _do_ you want, Loki?"

That was a good question. A question Loki didn't exactly know the answer to right now. If Thor was going to move away what would that mean for them? If Loki didn't go with him, what chance would they have? If he stayed here and they stayed together, he'd never know if Thor was being faithful to him and he knew it would drive him mad. 

"What are we supposed to do? Carry on some long distance relationship? Try to visit once a month if that? Skype? Phone calls? It's hardly the kind of relationship I want... "

"Why? Because there isnt' enough sex in that kind of relationship?" Loki snapped back.

"No.. not just that..." Thor argued, "but it's nice to have some intimacy more than once a month or ... jerking off to images of you on a computer screen."

Loki stood up angrily and gathered up the ice cream and stormed off to the kitchen to put them in the freezer. "No... god forbid the undersexed Thor go without sex for a few nights!" he grumbled.

"What? What is that supposed to mean?" Thor followed after him.

"It means... that you want me to upheave my entire life and move three thousand miles away because you can't commit to me if I don't."

Thor's mouth dropped open. "Are you fucking serious?" he announced, throwing up his hands. He shook his head in disbelief. "Loki... I'm trying to commit to you. I'm practically begging you to let me commit to you. I want you to come with me, yes... but if you really don't want to, then I still want you!" 

Loki scoffed. "Oh please... Thor! How long do you think that would last? If I stayed here and you lived there... how long before you'd break and fuck the next best thing?"

Thor's mouth was agape. He didn't need this. He didn't deserve this. He'd been faithful. He'd wanted to be faithful and never had any desire not to be. So why was he being accused of it constantly now?

"You know what... you're right!" Thor commented, now getting more angry than confused. "We can't have a long distance relationship. You know why? Because you can't fucking trust me right _here._.. together... so _how on earth_ would you trust me that far away?"

"I didn't say that..." Loki began to argue but Thor was turning away from him already.

"No... you didn't _say_ it Loki... you make it more than clear though."

"Well... _would_ you? Would you stay faithful to me if we weren't together constantly?" Loki argued.

"What does it _matter_ Loki?" Thor growled, picking up his jacket and pulling it on. "You'll never be satisfied with me promising you... you'll never trust me because I have a past... but you know, so do _you_! Maybe I have an issue with you and _him_ having been together. If anyone should be upset it should be me! I haven't been unfaithful to you but it's perfectly fine for you to be here alone with him.. right? What's that look like?  Hm? I come here and you're asleep in your pajamas and he's coming out of the bathroom half dressed? "

Loki furrowed his brow angrily. "He was there for me... when you weren't!"

Thor turned back from where he had gone to the door, his face twisted in rage. "ONE NIGHT!" he growled, coming back towards Loki. " _One_ fucking night ... we have _one_ fucking argument and you run into his arms? And I _did_ try to be there for you! I _called_ , I left messages.. but I suppose you don't believe me about that _either_ , do you?!" He rushed back towards the door and opened it, "I hope he's better to you than it appears, Loki... I hope he treats you as well as I try to, because from this view, he's a real fucking asshole to you... he loves _himself!_ He loves the idea of _getting_ you.. _having_ you… he doesn't love _you!_ " Slamming the door shut behind him, he instantly regretted it but didn't go back. Let Loki come to him for once. 

 

 

Over the next few weeks, they spoke over the phone here and there. Thor apologized several times for that night. Loki began taking a later train. The last time they spoke was two days before Thor left for London. It was tense and curt and though it wasn't an argument, it wasn't friendly either, as if they had never been in love at all.  Loki didn't say so but Thor just knew that he was with Alex now. He could tell by the way the man gloated and flaunted himself around, dropping little hints when he saw him in the last week he was in the New York museum.  Thor was a wreck when he left for London but he wanted to move on.  He had to. This was a new life and a new opportunity for him. He had his dream job, would be living in his dream city. He tried to ignore the fact that he didn't have the love of his life.

 

Loki finally relented to Alex's sweetness and advances. Eight months after Thor left, he moved into the house with Alex under the premise that they could start fresh and maybe get married. Loki could forget Thor if he just delved into this life with Alex. He hoped so anyway. The first year was hard. Loki found himself missing Thor, wanting to get in touch with him but realized soon enough what a mistake that would be. Thor had most certainly moved on and probably even happily so. It was then that he realized all he had for Alex were unresolved feelings. There had been no closure the first time around and now he had that. He heard all the things he'd wanted to hear so long ago after Alex left him. He still felt empty. Alex was the same as he'd ever been to him. Contacting Thor now seemed wrong. It was more unresolved feelings and there hadn't really been a closure. How could he explain that he chose this man over Thor? Alex was what he deserved. It was a great run but how could he have really expected someone as perfect as Thor to love him? He didn't deserve Thor. 

Alex was decent to him. Loki wanted for nothing even though he asked for nothing - other than faithfulness.

Alex gave him that for the first few months and then Loki found him sleeping with one of his daughter's friend's mothers, and then again with the new board member he'd placed himself. He caught them in their bed, in their house. The first one he let Alex explain away and try to make up to him but the second time, he knew it would be more of the same... forever. 

He left and moved back into his old apartment with Darcy. Together, they found a bigger place and stayed roommates. Loki, surprisingly enough, wasn't that broken hearted over Alex's betrayal. Maybe a part of him knew it would happen eventually. It's just who Alex was. They remained friendly probably only because Loki expected so little from him. He had his closure. He had no patience for Alex's sweet words and manipulations anymore. It was all too little, too late because he'd already lost Thor due to his inability to see through Alex's games from the beginning.

 

Loki wanted to reach out to Thor so many times, going so far as to write emails and even hand written letters that he thought he could send to him via the Museum in London. He sent none of them. He'd made his mistakes. He'd let the one person he'd ever loved slip away ... no, in fact he pushed him away. Now, he had to live with the consequences of that.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UGH.. there it is.. they're broken up!! I hated that.  
> BUT.. there's a bright side... as you know, they did get together three years later... so... let's see what happens from there.  
> 


	28. So... About That Ring....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're flashing forward three years again. Remember that ring Loki was wearing? Thor finally finds out if he's too late and if Loki married Alex.  
> If you need a refresher, go back to the Chapter titled "It's Complcated " to see where we're picking back up again.

 

With their puddings gone, drinks drained and that question lingering in the air about the ring Loki had worn on his left hand, there was little to do other than answer Thor's question.

 "Well... like I said,.." Loki began,"... it's not what it appears to be." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He was embarrassed to even tell Thor the story.

"I'm not proud of this... but... it's all a sham." Loki admitted. "We split up about two years ago."

Thor raised both brows but studied Loki's face for his emotional state on this affirmation. He didn't seem upset by it, nor did he seem relieved.

Loki looked down at the ring between his fingers after pulling it out of his pocket and placed it on the table in front of him. "I caught him cheating on me..." he said very matter-of-factly, "3 months into the relationship. I had serious doubts that it was the first time... it just happened to be the first time I _caught_ him." he continued. "I wasn't surprised. I really wasn't. Things had been.... lack luster for .... well, forever." he huffed. Hindsight is twenty twenty and looking back, he never really loved Alex. He knew that now... he knew it then too once he'd lost Thor. He had gone to the airport that day that Thor left, not to try to make him stay, not to go with him, not even to say goodbye, but to watch his plane take off. Loki knew it would be painful and he wanted to feel it. He deserved it.

"I guess I finally saw him  for what he was. It was like... I saw him for what he really _is_." Loki said a little distantly, staring down at the ring lost in thoughts. "He's a con. He's arrogant and ... he uses people. But..." he said, shaking his thoughts off and looking back up at Thor who had his undivided attention, cerulean eyes fixed on him,  "he asked me to do him a favor... and I did it. We remained friendly after the break up. That' s how I knew I was truly over him. The fact that I can still be in the same room with him and not want him dead..." he chuckled softly. "But.. his kids... they're _really_ awful.. I mean, imagine Alex times a hundred awful..." Loki rolled his eyes slightly. "They were after his money, the house... everything. Even after he gave them a sizable trust fund" he explained then took a deep breath.

"He asked me to marry him... on paper... so that I would get his estate instead of them. The ring is just for show. I don't know why I even keep it on now." He did know why, though. It kept people like Alex away. It kept people from thinking he was single and after losing Thor, he very much wanted to remain single.  "Like I said, I'm not proud of it... but you'd have to meet his kids. They're .... " he shook his head trying to think of the word, "...deplorable." he finally settled on. "They once asked me to try to get his keys to his safe ... they didn't even care that he was cheating on their own mother with me. It was all about what they could get from him."

"Well.." Thor quirked his brow, "I can't say I feel sorry for him. He's not exactly my favorite person."

Loki smiled, "I know... and that's completely understandable." There was a side to Alex that only Loki understood and knew about. He couldn't expect Thor to realize it or even care about it.

"He's sick now.." Loki added a little softer, "... that's why he wanted to have me marry him so quickly."

"Sick?" Thor repeated. "He's..." he paused.

"Dying... yes." Loki said with a nod very matter-of-factly.

Okay, Thor didn't care for Alex but he did care a great deal for Loki and if he was upset by this, he couldn't help but feel something. By Loki's reaction, however, he seemed oddly okay with it.

"I"m ... sorry." Thor said a little hesitantly but he meant it... for Loki's sake.

Loki smiled sadly. "Thanks... it's okay. He's come to terms with it... and so have I." he laughed a bit to Thor's surprise. Noticing that Thor looked mildly shocked at Loki's chuckle. "I'm sorry... " he stopped himself from laughing, "it's just that.... well, death.. or the promise of it makes people become unbelievably honest with themselves. Even _he_ knows he's an asshole. He had this whole long confession to me after he found out about the tumor... telling me how sorry he was for putting me through so much and being such a jerk to me." Then he frowned remembering that he'd also apologized for making him lose Thor. He'd confessed knowing that Thor truly did love him and that he'd not exactly told the truth about Thor cheating on him with Dillon or anyone else for that matter. "He apologized for you, too."

"For me?" Thor furrowed his brow and sat up a little.

"Yes, ... for interfering with us." he commented as he looked down at the ring again. He could feel Thor's stare and returned his gaze to those lovely bluer than blue eyes. "He admitted to me that you never cheated... he said he planted that seed in my head to tear us apart."

Well, Thor pretty much already knew that. At least Loki knew for sure now too. "It was incredibly selfish." Thor replied, sounding a little curt.

"I know...and ** _I_** owe you an apology too." Loki added.

" _You_ do?  Why?"

"Because I let him twist my thoughts... I let him manipulate me into thinking that you were unfaithful... when my gut told me that you weren't."  He leaned forward in his seat and reached across the table, placing his hand on top of Thor's. "I should have believed you. I should have trusted you... you never gave me true reason not to."

Thor squeezed Loki's hand and offered him a sad smile. Was it too late now? Had too much time passed and too much have happened to ever start over? It wouldn't be the same ever again,... would it? Could it? "You don't owe me anything... certainly not an apology."

"I do.... I do, Thor... because..." he paused a moment, Thor waiting patiently for what he'd say, "... I loved you so dearly.... and it frightened me beyond words. Alex hurt me but he could never have hurt me the way you could have. Forgive me for being so ... cowardly."

Thor gripped Loki's hand harder and had the overwhelming urge to bring it to his lips and kiss it as he so often had. So he did. One.. two... three kisses to Loki's knuckles as Loki looked on in melancholy.

"I would never.. could never think of you as cowardly." Thor commented softly, "You had been hurt before... and you were simply protecting yourself from that kind of pain again."

Loki snorted, "It didn't work very well in the long run. I thought I knew pain.... until I lost you..."

Thor smiled, his heart swelling with hope.

"I'm not lost. I'm sitting right here in front of you, Loki."

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I'm not sure. This might be the end... or it might not be. Obviously, they're getting back together.  
> If I get really inspired, I might tack on a "happily ever after " chapter later.  
> I hope you liked it. I hope my writing improves. I'll never be like some of the writers I've been inspired by on AO3 but it DOES help me a great deal with my depression to use this format of creativity.


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